My Story

I grew up in a large, close-knit family in Wisconsin — the only girl among four brothers, with a Methodist minister father and a mother who held everything together with quiet grace. From the beginning, I was drawn to care. I just didn't know yet what form it would take.

After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I became a Registered Veterinary Technician and worked my way through general practice, research at UC San Francisco, and specialty care. Each chapter taught me something. But it wasn't until I crossed paths with Shea Cox, DVM, CVPP, CHPV® — the veterinarian who founded BluePearl Pet Hospice — that I found the work I was truly meant to do. We first worked together in her practice, Bridge Veterinary Services in Berkeley, CA, helping families navigate their pet's end-of-life journey.

When Shea founded BluePearl Pet Hospice, I joined her as her first veterinary nurse — honored to be part of building something new in a field that was just finding its footing. I accompanied Dr. Cox into families' homes at the most tender moments of their lives — helping them read their pet's comfort and decline, work through the hardest quality-of-life questions, and make decisions no one ever feels fully ready to make. My role was to be present for the pet and the people who loved them, while keeping their veterinary team informed every step of the way.