Mission:
To bring joy to the lives of children with disabilities by building and promoting accessible and inclusive community playgrounds.
1. Children with disabilities will be able to participate in playground activities, which will bring joy to their lives and encourage development of physical, emotional, linguistic, behavioral and cognitive skills.
2. Children with disabilities will have the opportunity to interact with other children, both with and without disabilities, enhancing their social skills.
3. Children without disabilities will have the opportunity to interact with children who are affected by disabilities, allowing them to develop a comfort level in their communications and interactions and encouraging the development of relationships between all children without regard to disabilities.
Core Values: Inclusion
Awareness
Acceptance
Leadership:
Brigitte J. Miller, Esq., Chair - Ms. Miller is the founder of Hailey's Wish. She is the mother of three children and takes a special interest in supporting the development of accessible community playgrounds due to her own experiences and challenges relating to her daughter's disabilities. She holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from the University of Baltimore.
Darlene M. Lucio, Vice Chair - Ms. Lucio has been a paralegal for 18 years with a focus on the rights of vulnerable adults living in skilled nursing facilities. She was very involved in the volunteer committee with her former employer in Syracuse, NY. She participated in volunteer and fundraising activities for the Vera House, a shelter for abused women, and she assisted in toy and food drives with the local children's hospital.
Marisa Myers, Liaison - Ms. Myers is a Physical Therapist Assistant who works with children who have severe and profound disabilities at Carroll Springs School. She is responsible for initiating a Playground Committee to develop and procure an inclusive and accessible playground at Carroll Springs School. Ms. Myers acts as the liaison between Carroll Springs School and Hailey's Wish to ensure a collaborative effort in playground development.