A former teacher. My background is in special education, specifically Deaf education. I taught at a school for the Deaf for 7 years before I had my first child. I had a typical pregnancy and delivery (as typical as a pregnancy and delivery could be during a pandemic). However, several hours after birth my daughter had a medical emergency and was rushed to the NICU. Her first year of life did not go quite how I expected. It was full of doctor visits, specialists, scans, physical therapy, occupational therapy, weekly visits from a developmental therapist, etc. All during this, I felt isolated and alone. I wanted to be surrounded by other parents going through similar experiences. As the pandemic started settling down, I found Happy Holler Circle. A wonderful community led by Rebekah Carpenter, a Montessori teacher and parent consultant. What I loved about the group was having a place where my child could learn, explore, and interact with other children while I had other parents to connect to and an expert I could learn from. I loved learning  how the Montessori approach meets every child where they are. It focuses on and respects the child. I found these ideas so meaningful in my parenting of a child with disabilities. A vision was born from this. What if there was a community just like this but for those entering parenthood a little differently than expected? A community to not only support a child with disabilities or delays but also support the parent/caregiver. Now I have the opportunity to turn this vision into a reality with Happy Holler Circle. The Willow Grove is a place for parents to connect, children to feel capable, and a place for everyone to learn, grow and connect.