If you’ve been part of the Madelyn James Foundation community for any amount of time, you know that our mission is rooted in deep love, fierce advocacy and showing up for families when they need it most. That’s why we are thrilled to share some incredible news: we have officially welcomed our new Program and Operations Manager to the team!
Welcome Adriana! Maddy Double Waves!
To say we are lucky to have her is a massive understatement. She comes to us as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Washington, DC, bringing a breathtaking depth of professional experience. Most recently, she served as an Oncology Social Worker at Children’s National Hospital, specializing in Solid Tumors. In that role, she was a lifeline for families navigating the absolute scariest days of their lives. She worked hand-in-hand with multidisciplinary medical teams to coordinate complex care, break down systemic barriers to treatment and connect parents to critical financial, medical and community resources. Plus, as a fluent Spanish speaker, she was able to directly advocate for and walk alongside Spanish-speaking families who were trying to navigate an overwhelmingly complex medical system.
Her clinical brilliance alone would make her an incredible addition, and what makes her truly remarkable is the heart and lived experience she brings to this work.
She knows this journey because she has walked it herself. As a caregiver to a medically complex child, she knows the excruciating weight of a terrifying diagnosis. She understands the exact feeling of waiting on genetic test results while holding onto a fragile thread of hope. She knows the relentless reality of rare conditions, like MMIHS (Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome), where a newborn baby faces surgeries, feeding tubes, and colostomy bags at just a few days old. She understands the daunting realization that it means a lifetime of medical equipment, specialist consultations, and constant care.
She has lived the middle-of-the-night worry, the overwhelming logistics, and the profound emotional and financial strain that hits a family when their child is fighting a rare or serious illness. But more than anything, she knows the power of hope, the kind of hope that looks at a daunting diagnosis and chooses to fight for a full, bright future.
When you combine a world-class clinical background with the fierce, compassionate heart of a parent who truly gets it, magic happens. She joined the Madelyn James Foundation because she believes deeply in our mission to lift the burdens off families so they can focus entirely on their child’s needs.
We are stepping into this next chapter stronger, more compassionate, and more capable than ever. Please join me in giving her the warmest welcome to our foundation family!
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