Our Founder
From The Founder
People often ask me how Room For Joy began. I guess the story begins with my childhood experience with my own medical challenges. I was born with Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and spent the first 16 years of my life driving from Nebraska (where I was born) to Minnesota to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. We went every 3-6 months for checkups, a series of body casts, braces and eventually corrective spinal surgery at the age of 12. In between the hospital visits, I could hardly wait to get home to my own room, which was my safe place. My Mom allowed me to do whatever I wanted with my bedroom design; purple wall paint, beads, and a velvet bedspread brought joy to me and made it my personal space.
Not only do I have scoliosis, but one of my daughters has it as well. When she was in Junior High we were the grateful recipients of the medical care of Phoenix Children’s Hospital as she too, had corrective spinal surgery. In preparation for her spinal surgery recovery, we renovated her room to reflect the "Celestial" decor theme she chose. I was well aware of the importance of having a positive, healing environment in which to recover.
Fast forward to my adulthood…I attended interior design school and worked in the valley in a variety of retail setting as an Interior Designer for 15 plus years. Even though I love the creativity of interior design, I began to pray for a way to use my design experience in a capacity that would allow me to give back to others. One day in 2005 my sister sent me an email about an organization in a different state that did room makeovers for sick children. That day, Room For Joy was born! I found that the combination of my medical history, my daughter’s surgery and my interior design experience, provided the perfect environment to use what God had given me to serve others and make a difference in the world. He led me to many other amazingly gifted artists, craftsmen and carpenters who partnered with me to create the first project team. I am so thankful to work with such great people and we are all blessed and honored to be able to be a part of the lives of the amazing, courageous children we serve! "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
People often ask me how Room For Joy began. I guess the story begins with my childhood experience with my own medical challenges. I was born with Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and spent the first 16 years of my life driving from Nebraska (where I was born) to Minnesota to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. We went every 3-6 months for checkups, a series of body casts, braces and eventually corrective spinal surgery at the age of 12. In between the hospital visits, I could hardly wait to get home to my own room, which was my safe place. My Mom allowed me to do whatever I wanted with my bedroom design; purple wall paint, beads, and a velvet bedspread brought joy to me and made it my personal space.
Not only do I have scoliosis, but one of my daughters has it as well. When she was in Junior High we were the grateful recipients of the medical care of Phoenix Children’s Hospital as she too, had corrective spinal surgery. In preparation for her spinal surgery recovery, we renovated her room to reflect the "Celestial" decor theme she chose. I was well aware of the importance of having a positive, healing environment in which to recover.
Fast forward to my adulthood…I attended interior design school and worked in the valley in a variety of retail setting as an Interior Designer for 15 plus years. Even though I love the creativity of interior design, I began to pray for a way to use my design experience in a capacity that would allow me to give back to others. One day in 2005 my sister sent me an email about an organization in a different state that did room makeovers for sick children. That day, Room For Joy was born! I found that the combination of my medical history, my daughter’s surgery and my interior design experience, provided the perfect environment to use what God had given me to serve others and make a difference in the world. He led me to many other amazingly gifted artists, craftsmen and carpenters who partnered with me to create the first project team. I am so thankful to work with such great people and we are all blessed and honored to be able to be a part of the lives of the amazing, courageous children we serve! "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31