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Speech Language Pathologist

When Piper was just four months old, her parents faced an unexpected concern: their pediatrician noticed her head size was not typical. After a series of tests, Piper was diagnosed with microcephaly. By the time she was nine months old, she was missing developmental milestones, and by her second birthday, she had also been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Piper’s journey also brought unique challenges with communication and mobility. As a nonverbal child, Piper relies on creative ways to express herself, and her family has embraced learning to understand her cues. Piper is also not yet mobile, affecting her ability to move around and get from one place to another on her own. In 2022, the family relocated to Florida and began researching the best care options for Piper. “We spent a lot of time looking for facilities that could meet Piper’s needs,” her mother, Christy explains. “Nemours was the best […]

When Julieta was just 1 month old, she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 1 (SMA Type 1). SMA is a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and atrophy, significantly impacting Julieta’s ability to walk, sit up, and control her head movements. It also affected her ability to speak and eat. Julieta’s mother, Melissa, recalls the initial shock and heartbreak that accompanied the diagnosis: “After I got the call with her results, I was told by five neurologists that she was not going to make it past 1 year of age. Obviously, this put me in a sad and grieving mental state. We as a family were devastated.” Shortly after receiving her diagnosis, Julieta was referred to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida by a neurologist in Miami. “After I visited Nemours and felt finally safe and with big hopes for my daughter, I went back to Dr. Miller in […]

Meet Megan Nelson, a passionate Speech Language Pathologist at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. Megan’s journey into her career began with a personal connection close to her heart – her cousin Katie, born with CHARGE syndrome and hearing loss. Inspired by the transformative care Katie received, Megan felt compelled to follow a similar path, ultimately becoming a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Certified Auditory Verbal Therapist. “I knew I was destined to help other children and their families,” Megan reflects on her decision to pursue this career. “In watching Katie learn to listen and speak, the impact that Katie’s Auditory Verbal Therapist made on her and my family was especially meaningful.” “When I saw the posting for a Speech Language Pathologist for the Nemours Children’s Cochlear Implant team, I knew it was the best fit and applied immediately,” Megan shares. Since then, she has thrived in her role as Lead Auditory […]

Melissa knew at a young age that she wanted to be a speech pathologist. When she was young, her grandfather had a stroke which helped influence the path she wanted to eventually take in life. After school, she would often walk to her grandparent’s house to play cards and visit until her Dad could pick her up. Often, after walking to their house she would arrive, and her grandfather was receiving his speech therapy sessions. Watching the therapist work with her grandfather and the care she took looking out for him, she decided she wanted to do the same thing. Melissa says, “Through my time in undergraduate and graduate studies I often found myself drawn to working more with children. I have always loved the energy and spirit that children often had and loved the possibilities of helping them grow and progress in their speech and language skills. I graduated […]

Madison’s journey with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) began at 2 months old. A severe ear infection spiraled into Mastoiditis, leading to urgent surgery and a slew of testing. It was a challenging time for her mother, Jeannine, and their family. They grappled with the possibility of HLH, a blood and immune system disorder that had already touched their lives through Madison’s brother. Jeannine recounts, “Madison’s condition was weighing heavy on our minds that she could have HLH like her brother did.” Having sought care for her son at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, Jeannine turned to the hospital once again, entrusting them with Madison’s care. “We have always felt the doctors and therapists have cared for and loved us truly from their heart,” says Jeannine. “We went to larger hospitals and felt like we were a number there, but not at Nemours.” Madison’s treatment at Nemours Children’s primarily involves outpatient therapy services. […]

In 2022, after his parents began to notice a stutter in his speech, Finnegan went to Nemours Orlando Outpatient Therapy Services to seek help. It was then that his speech therapist discovered that Finnegan had a disfluency. They recommended he work with Michelle Bartlett, SLP as that is her area of expertise. “Michelle has consistently approached every session with passion and care.  She truly wants Finnegan to succeed,” says Lauren. During his first episode of care with Michelle, Finnegan struggled to make progress. However, once Finnegan started his second episode of care, “It seemed like a light bulb sort of went off for him,” says Lauren. “All of a sudden, he really started to use the tools that he and Michelle would practice.” “They made his sessions so fun for him,” says Lauren. “Whatever he was interested in that week, whether it was Cars or PJ Masks or Lion King, […]