Board-certified pediatrician
My life has gone in a circle that I had never imagined. I grew up in the Valley the daughter of two teachers and the oldest of three girls. We moved to Hadley when I was three, and that is still where my parents reside. Upon my high school graduation, I went off to Wellesley College and thought I would never return here to the Valley to live permanently. I recall my high school English teacher saying to us shortly before graduation that someday we would recall the beauty of this area and all it has to offer. With the full knowledge and doubt of an adolescent, I heard that with skepticism believing I would never return to live in the Valley. I spent four amazing and wonderful years at Wellesley College graduating with a degree in Psychology. I wanted to be a pediatrician since I was in my early teens, and went to Wellesley with that plan but fell in love with developmental psychology. I waffled for a while, and entertained getting my PhD in developmental psychology. Ultimately, I realized that as a pediatrician I could do both, developmental psychology and medicine. Off I headed after graduation, to medical school at UMass Medical School, and ultimately completed by pediatric residency there as well. My first goal in life was complete to be a pediatrician!
My second goal was to be a mother. After settling into a career at a large community practice very similar to NAP, and not having found the perfect soul mate, I explored motherhood in other ways. In my heart I felt there was so many children who needed homes in the world that I decided to pursue adoption. My beloved pediatric residency director had strong ties to Guatemala where he and his family spent time yearly serving this community, it seemed fitting that I explored adopting from Guatemala in honor of his love for the country and people. In the summer of 2007, I brought my son home forever and my life as a person and pediatrician forever changed in so many wonderful ways.
In 2009 I decided to come full circle, knowing how much I wanted my child to have a relationship with his grandparents. Having some years away from the Valley under my belt and remembering my high school English teacher’s words of how wonderful the Valley is, we moved to Hadley where we continue to reside. Knowing how important my sisters were to me, I decided in 2010 to pursue adopting another child. While my dream had been to adopt another child from Guatemala, adoptions through Guatemala had closed. Being a single mom by choice my options were limited so I pursued a domestic adoption. We welcomed home my daughter in the summer of 2010. To make our family complete, we welcomed home our final family member, a labradoodle in 2016.
Upon returning to the Valley, I practiced pediatrics at a couple of places, until 2016 when I found my “home” in South Deerfield. While I have loved practicing in several different places, I have loved the “small town, small office” feel that I found in South Deerfield. I love seeing my patients sick and well, and sometimes when they come with a friend or cousin for their visit. Watching them and their families grow over the years has been a source of pure joy for me, and I’m excited to continue that at NAP with the support of more colleagues and services.
Education
- Undergraduate: Wellesley College, A.B., Wellesley, MA, 1995
- Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 1999
- Residency: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 1999-2002
Memberships and Certifications
- Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Psi Chi
Interests
- Medical: developmental and behavioral pediatrics, asthma, allergies, children and youth with special healthcare needs and care coordination
- Non-medical: being with my children and dog, reading especially historic fiction, quilting, stained glass, kayaking, riding the bike paths