Meet the Team

Meet the Co-Founders

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Ashlyn Thompson

Co-Founder and Executive Hope Director

Meet Ashlyn
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Emily Whiting

Co-Founder and Executive Hope Director

Meet Emily

Our Inspiration

Emery Thompson and Charlotte Whiting are the true original co-founders, at the then ripe ages of 11 months and five-years-old. They might not have filed the legal paperwork to officially start the 501(c)3, but they are the inspiration behind the Parent Empowerment Network.

Emery was diagnosed with a rare condition called bladder exstrophy at her fetal anatomy scan before she was born. Her unique medical journey has literally taken her around the world, including a massive surgery in the United Kingdom. While Emery is known for being the first American to undergo the surgery, she’s just as famous for her abundant red curls and contagious smile.  She is a fierce fighter and the inspiration behind Ashlyn’s drive to support families on their own advocacy journeys for their children. 

Emery

Meet Emery
Charlotte also had a fateful fetal anatomy scan which showed head-to-toe anomalies at just 20-weeks gestation. Whether she would survive long after birth, and what survival looked like, was unknown. Despite all odds, she spent her first three-months in the NICU fighting for her life through five major surgeries. She then went on to have more than 20 procedures before receiving a diagnosis of Hardikar Syndrome, an ultra-rare disease with less than ten documented cases around the world at the time of Charlotte’s diagnosis.

Charlotte

Meet Charlotte

Meet the Board of Directors

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Jasmina Tadic, CFP

Treasurer

Meet Jasmina
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Dr. Rick Rodriguez, MD

Meet Dr. Rick
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Terrie Koch, RN

Meet Terrie
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Danielle Matter

Meet Danielle
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Ben Krueger

Meet Ben
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Tamela Grabb

Meet Tamela
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The information presented on this website and in all Parent Empowerment Network’s content is for informational purposes only. Emily Whiting and Ashlyn Thompson are not licensed healthcare professionals and statements made by them or materials produced or disseminated by them or Parent Empowerment Network are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment by qualified healthcare professionals. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read/heard from Parent Empowerment Network content.

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Ashlyn Thompson

Co-Founder and Executive Hope Director

Ashlyn is a fearless crusader endeavoring to transform parents of children with medical complexities into capable, courageous advocates. She’s inspired by her daughter, Emery, who was born with bladder exstrophy. Emery nearly died twice at just seven-weeks-old after her major closure surgery, due to a series of unfortunate accidental errors, and has since inspired increased safety protocols at the hospital. 

Unwilling to accept Emery’s fate of facing probable life-long incontinence, Ashlyn discovered a surgeon in the United Kingdom who performs a bladder neck reconstruction procedure which was not offered in the United States at the time. The Thompson family became medical tourists in early 2023 and Emery is the first-ever American to undergo this surgery. 

But wait, there’s more. Unwilling to settle for the fact that Americans could not easily access this surgical option for their children with bladder exstrophy, Ashlyn collaborated with her U.K. surgeon to bring the procedure to the States, and it is now offered in Cleveland, Ohio. You can hear the full story here. 

Beyond her amazing medical parenting journey, Ashlyn is also a wife, mother to her older son, and has an extensive marketing and communications professional background. 

Portrait of a smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a beige top, captured in a bright indoor setting.

Emily Whiting

Co-Founder and Executive Hope Director

Emily is a beacon of hope. She meets you at your greatest time of need and empowers you to relentlessly pursue the best care for your child and family’s medical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.  Her daughter Charlotte was diagnosed at age five with Hardikar Syndrome, after already undergoing more than 20 major corrective surgeries. Affecting a known population of about nine in the world at the time, this ultra-rare disease involves more than 20 specialists and four hospital systems across the United States in Charlotte’s regular medical care. Charlotte’s journey is far from over as she will need a minimum of ten more procedures and lifelong care management.  Emily captured the beginning of their journey in the book She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with her Child with Medical Complexities. She has since brought the Hardikar community together as more receive the diagnosis around the world. Learn about the power of community here. Beyond her medical parenting journey, Emily is also wife, mother to three other precious babies, and has a communications background as a public speaker, author and team leader. 
A cheerful young girl with curly red hair, wearing a white dress, playing and smiling in an open grassy field.

Emery

Emery was diagnosed with a rare condition called bladder exstrophy at her fetal anatomy scan before she was born. Her unique medical journey has literally taken her around the world, including a massive surgery in the United Kingdom. While Emery is known for being the first American to undergo the surgery, she’s just as famous for her abundant red curls and contagious smile.  She is a fierce fighter and the inspiration behind Ashlyn’s drive to support families on their own advocacy journeys for their children. 

Charlotte

Charlotte also had a fateful fetal anatomy scan which showed head-to-toe anomalies at just 20-weeks gestation. Whether she would survive long after birth, and what survival looked like, was unknown. Despite all odds, she spent her first three-months in the NICU fighting for her life through five major surgeries. She then went on to have more than 20 procedures before receiving a diagnosis of Hardikar Syndrome, an ultra-rare disease with less than ten documented cases around the world at the time of Charlotte’s diagnosis.

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Jasmina Tadic, CFP

Treasurer

Jasmina can’t help but feel that her involvement with this mission was meant to be. The timing was perfect, the treasurer role was much needed and Jasmina has seen time and time again that advocating skills can be life-changing. And then to see how Ashlyn and Emily have turned their challenges into opportunities to help other families, she was compelled to be part of the team. And, she continues to be impressed by the accomplishments of the Parent Empowering Network!

Jasmina is a recently retired wealth advisor from a leading financial firm who generously shares her skills with this mission. Jasmina played an integral role in the rise of an award-winning company providing transformative guidance to many families. She also has a passion for kids and helping those in need of any age, both of which are invaluable to the Parent Empowerment Network.

With a heart of service, Jasmina embraces her clients and friends like family and jumps into the caregiver role whenever needed.

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Dr. Rick Rodriguez, MD

Dr. Rick has an intimate knowledge of what parents go through, sees the invaluable impact hope can have on a child and family’s outcomes, understands how to navigate the medical system as a seasoned pro, and most of all, has a heart of gold. 

He is the Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and a Neonatologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He is the previous Chairman of Neonatology at Cleveland Clinic, where he met and took extraordinary care of Charlotte in 2017/2018. He is known and adored as “Uncle Rick” in the Whiting family. 

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Terrie Koch, RN

“What I value most about the Parent Empowerment Network is working for an organization in whose mission I truly believe in with people that are passionate about what they do!”

Terrie works with parents at the “moment of impact,” when they learn their unborn child has unique medical needs. She is a registered nurse working with Maternal Fetal Medicine OBGYNs at Cleveland Clinic. She was there for Emily throughout the pregnancy with Charlotte, visited them both in the NICU and has been a steady friend since, even helping Emily cope with two miscarriages. 

Terrie has a heart filled with love and compassion, as a mother who lost her own daughter at 37 weeks pregnant. Terrie has helped countless parents mourn the loss of the healthy child they envisioned, and re-frame goals for moving forward. 

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Danielle Matter

“I am all too familiar with autoimmune conditions, with multiple people in our family having diagnoses, including myself. But from that, I know that a positive spirit, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and a dose of encouragement can be wildly impactful as you navigate the ups and downs of chronic conditions. Two of my best friends, Emily and Ashlyn, are providing all of the above to families and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Danielle is the glue that brought co-founders Ashlyn and Emily together. Without her, there would be no Parent Empowerment Network because the two founders would never have met! A childhood friend of Ashlyn’s and former co-worker of Emily’s, she is a radiant light of positivity and hope amidst her own juvenile autoimmune disease diagnosis. 

Danielle is the Director of Brand Experience and Education for a global beef brand, Certified Angus Beef. AKA, she is an event planning and marketing extraordinaire who uses her incredible talents to help us grow.

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Ben Krueger

Ben is a business and entrepreneur mastermind as well as a top-notch podcast strategist. He brings incredible insight and wisdom into how to build systems and efficiencies in the business that is Parent Empowerment Network, allowing it to grow and serve an ever-expanding audience. His expertise is critical in the development of the Empowered by Hope podcast. 

He’s also Charlotte’s adoring uncle who has steadily supported the Whiting family through their countless hospital stays.

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Tamela Grabb

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision, just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” ~Joel A. Barker

Tamela, or otherwise known as “Mimsy,” is Emery’s amazing grandmother who has been with Ashlyn and Emery through every up and down of the journey. She even traveled to the U.K. with Ashlyn and Emery for Emery’s Kelly Continence Procedure. She has an intimate understanding of  caregiver needs, with extensive experience of the role as a daughter, sister, mother, wife, and grandmother.  

Tamela is also a public relations expert who puts her incredible talents toward getting the word out about the Parent Empowerment Network.

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