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Board of Directors
Heather Batman, MS, OTR, BCP, CNT, NTMTC
Heather Batman, MS, OTR, BCP, CNT, NTMTC is an advanced board certified pediatric occupational therapist and certified neonatal therapist with 22 years of expertise in feeding, swallowing and tiny baby development. She is dedicated to promoting positive feeding and developmental outcomes and supporting families in regaining their occupational role as their baby's parent.
Earl Bender, Jr. MBID
A fellow preemie born at 26 gestational weeks. Shortly after birth, I was diagnosed with a Grade IV IVH . Today , I am an alumni of Georgia Institute of Technology and The Tuskegee University .
Latoya Blueford
Latoya Blueford is the Founder and Director of The Skylar Project, a 501(c)3 NICU and bereavement nonprofit. She is a child-loss-survivor, former NICU-mother, Certified Pregnancy and Infant Loss Advocate, Postpartum-Doula, NICU advocate, legislative partner for the Shine-for-Autumn Act (state level), former Rape-crisis Advocate through Lifelines Counseling Services, and Board member for the Alliance for Black NICU families. Her mission is to develop and implement new and creative ways to improve conditions for NICU families while helping them therapeutically and gently process trauma.
Corneliu Bolbocean, PhD
Dr. Bolbocean, PhD is an academic economist with international training, having pursued my academic journey across the USA, Canada, and the UK. My current research focuses on examining the long-term economic implications of preterm birth and its impact on caregivers. Recently, I have authored publications that appeared in top-quality journals, including PharmacoEconomics, Quality of Life Research, Food Policy, and Autism Research.
Wakako M Eklund , NNP
Wakako is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner with 22 years of experience. She is a passionate educator, clinician and also a partner to patients and families who experience NICU. Her enthusiasm for education has impacted internationally and she is highly committed to making the educational material visually effective while delivering the targeted content. Education through stories is also her strength when she delivers complex content. She finds it an honor to serve on the board of this exceptional organization.
Christina Gagnon | Preemie Survivor
Christina is a former micro-preemie survivor, born at 1 lb. 8 oz at 25 weeks with only a 14% chance of survival back in 1986. She has been on multiple podcasts including from the UK, Australia and Holland. She has also had a few articles written about her heroic story as a preemie. Currently she is editing her memoir, coming from a preemie's point of view instead of the parents.
Michelle Headlie | Micro-preemie Mom
Hello, my name is Michelle Headlie I am originally from Trinidad and Tobago and migrated to Boston Massachusetts t the age of 11 years old. At 25 years old I gave birth to my daughter Cydnie who was an extreme preemie born at 24 weeks weighing 1lb 6.6 oz just 2 days after Christmas in 2006. Our journey has been long and filled with many ups and downs and joining the Preemie World Foundation is my way of turning my pain into purpose and being a support to other families in the preemie community.
Carole Kenner | Global Nursing Leader
Dr. Carole Kenner is the Carol Kuser Loser Dean & Professor at The College of New Jersey School of Nursing & Health Sciences. She is the Founder and CEO of the Council of International Neonatal Nurses, Inc. (COINN). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in neonatal/perinatal nursing, and a doctorate with a minor in higher education. She has authored almost 200 journal articles and 40 textbooks.
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Jeffrey J. Lefko
Jeff is the founder of Jeff Lefko Books, which combines a career in healthcare management and a passion for writing engaging and thoughtful children’s stories. The publishing imprint focuses on the development of children’s stories that serve as vehicles for jumpstarting healthcare initiatives and delivering valuable public health information for children and/or their parents and providers. As such, Jeff is a Founding Member and Vice President of the Books for Healing Partnership, Inc. a nonprofit devoted to creating patient education materials in the form of a children's story.
Dr. Akhil Maheshwari
Dr. Maheshwari is a Professor of Pediatrics/Neonatology with the Boston Children's/Maria Fareri/Good Samaritan Hospitals in New York. He is an elected member of the American Pediatric Association, a nominated member of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Royal College of Physicians, the Global Newborn Society, Indian Association of Haematology, and the Interdisciplinary Academic Research and Innovation IARI (Amsterdam).
He has founded the Global Newborn Society, an organization active in 123 countries. He is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of its scientific journal, The Newborn which now represents 33 more organizations, including many GNS chapters and other national neonatal association, the GNS Down Syndrome Foundation, the Polish Nursing Association, and the PreemieWorld Foundation in the US.
Dr. Susan McCune
Dr. Susan McCune is the Director of the Office of Pediatric Therapeutics at FDA. She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard, her MD at GWU, and training at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC). She is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine, and practiced academic medicine at Johns Hopkins and CNMC with research at NICHD prior to joining the FDA.
Shanté Nixon | Preemie Mom
Shanté Nixon is an inspired entrepreneur and seasoned account executive who founded Connect2NICU after the profound loss of her son, aiming to transform neonatal care communication. Recognizing the need for non-medical parents to engage effectively with healthcare providers, she developed an app that facilitates real-time conversations and easy access to essential resources. Her professional expertise in the logistics industry complements her personal commitment to supporting families of premature infants. As a board member for a preemie organization, Shanté embodies resilience and innovation, dedicating her career to enhancing the care experience for families during critical times. Her journey from personal loss to creating meaningful change underscores her dedication to empowerment and partnership in neonatal care.
Board of Directors (continued)
Danielle Vassell |Preemie Survivor
Danielle Vassell is a motivational speaker, podcast host and entrepreneur. Danielle was born, weighing just one pound 4 ounces (590g), Danielle defied, the grim prognosis report of doctors and specialists that gave her 0-5 percent chance of survival. Danielle’s story has been featured in various media outlets.
