Nicole Foster
Nicole Foster is a 39 year old mother of 2 young boys, Logan 9 and Harrison 5 and has been married for 19 years to her husband David. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and currently reside in McCandless PA a suburb about 15 mins north of the city. I enjoy spending time with my family exploring new activities and being outside.
I made a career change about 2 years ago and moved into the healthcare sector from retail, it has been a great experience. Helping people thru our work with their health is an amazing feeling. Logan my oldest son has Cerebral Palsy, his CP affects his right side of his body with limited movement out of his arm/hand and leg he wears SFO’s on his feet to help stabilize his ankles and help him walk and run.
He participates in PT/OT therapy 2 hours a week and has undergone Botox injections to help lengthen his muscles. He is an amazing kid and so resilient. Logan also loves to swim which we are finding he is rather good at and he is now part of a swim team.
Martha Watson.
Martha Watson’s daughter, Elizabeth Grace, was a major inspiration for Casual Recovery’s Young Superheroes project. She and her husband supported Elizabeth’s 10-year battle against Anorexia Nervosa – a journey involving many hospitalizations and providers across the country. Sadly, Elizabeth lost her battle at the age of 21 in 2016 and that is when Martha’s advocacy began, including lobbying for state and national Eating Disorder legislation with the Eating Disorders Coalition and the National Eating Disorders Association, fundraising for NEDA’s programs and research, and supporting many individuals and families that are touched by Eating Disorders. Martha is passionate about raising public awareness of eating disorders as well as reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, generally, and she cares deeply about children and their medical experiences. She is proud to do this work in Elizabeth’s honor and memory. Professionally, Martha has over 25 years of experience as a health care consultant, currently managing many clinical vendors for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. She holds a degree in actuarial mathematics from the University of Michigan. She resides in Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband, Glenn.
Shukri Addo
Shukri is a Family Nurse Practitioner who is impacting change in her community through servant leadership. She is passionate about; civic engagement, global healthcare improvement and health equity, health advocacy, health innovation, and women empowerment. Shukri loves connecting with people, as well as connecting people.
When it comes to the clinical setting, Shukri’s clinical practice is rooted in empathy and key frameworks like the social determinants of health. As an experienced patient, she understands patients on a personal level and the importance of addressing the root cause of health and healthcare issues. Her care plans take a holistic approach incorporating both traditional and functional medicine. She has worked in diverse healthcare settings and with diverse populations. Therefore, she is respectful of differing beliefs, traditions, cultures, and customs.
Shukri, believes in bringing together various key stakeholders to solve health and healthcare issues. She has great experience in mobilizing for change.