About

Fierce Mamas

Why Fierce Mamas Fights

Every family raising children with medical, developmental, or mental health challenges deserves the same respect, support, and opportunities as any other. But right now, too many parents are fighting these battles alone — navigating broken systems, managing life-or-death care decisions, and carrying emotional and financial burdens that touch every part of life.

Fierce Mamas was born from lived experience — the sleepless nights, the relentless advocacy, the heartbreak, and the hope. We are here to stand together, amplify our voices, and demand the systemic change our children deserve.

“Love alone isn’t enough to navigate a broken system.”

The Challenges We Refuse to Accept

Families like ours face barriers that are bigger than any one household can dismantle alone:

  • Gaps in care access that delay or deny critical treatment

  • Systemic bias that marginalizes families based on need, income, or diagnosis

  • Lack of coordination between medical, mental health, and educational systems

  • Policies that punish instead of protect, especially for children with mental illness or addiction

We know these challenges aren’t inevitable — they are the result of systems that can be changed.

“When parents unite across diagnoses, systems change.”

The Future We’re Building Together

A world where no parent has to choose between their child’s safety and their family’s survival. Where every child receives timely, compassionate, and coordinated care — and families have the resources, rest, and respect they need to thrive.

One Alliance, Many Voices

Unlike large organizations that focus on one piece of the puzzle — like ARC (developmental disabilities), the Child Advocacy Center (abuse response), or TEIS (early intervention) — Fierce Mamas unites families across diagnoses and needs.

We bring together parents of children with:

  • Recognized medical special needs

  • Developmental and learning differences

  • Mental illness

  • Substance use disorder or addiction

By building an alliance, we gain the numbers, diversity, and strength to change policies, shift culture, and transform systems for all our kids.

What We Stand For

We are guided by shared principles:

  • Unity Across Difference – We believe our strength is in standing together across diagnoses, circumstances, and stories.

  • Lived Experience at the Center – Those most affected must lead the change.

  • Equity and Inclusion – We actively challenge systemic bias and fight for fair treatment for every family.

  • Courageous Advocacy – We speak truth to power with clarity, compassion, and persistence.

  • Community Care – We honor the humanity of every parent and child, and we hold each other up.

The Spark That Started It All

I started Fierce Mamas because raising my children has required every ounce of strength, strategy, and love I have — and it has left no margin for error, reprieve, or failure. The physical, emotional, and financial cost has been huge, touching every decision I make. I am proud beyond measure to love them fiercely, but I know firsthand that love alone isn’t enough to navigate a broken system.

This movement is for every parent who has fought for care, for safety, for understanding — and who refuses to give up.

Early Steps, Big Goals

We’re in the early stages, but our goals are clear:

  • Build a powerful, connected network of families and allies

  • Host community conversations that influence local and state policy

  • Provide peer support and resources for navigating complex care systems

  • Elevate the voices of parents in decision-making spaces where they’ve been excluded