Shannon believes that our greatest accomplishments in life often come from our greatest challenges. Her dream of healthy children was shattered in 2002 when her triplets were born four months prematurely. Although they overcame numerous life-threatening infections and countless surgeries, feeding and nourishing them quickly became the biggest challenge. All three babies cried, gagged, vomited, and often turned blue during feeding and eventually required feeding tubes. Shannon had nowhere to turn, no information, and no support.
Shannon and her family spent over a year of their lives living in and out of numerous hospitals across the country to find help. However, no particular feeding program had all the right answers, and each one contributed to the triplet’s triumphs in varying degrees. She quickly realized that every family’s journey is unique. Treating children who struggle to eat is complex and requires the efforts of multiple specialists working together. It was through this battle, and the love for her children, that Shannon was inspired to create an organization that would bring pediatric feeding disorders to the forefront, as well as ignite research and education in this field.
In 2006 Shannon founded Feeding Matters, the only organization soley dedicated to furthering the advances in pediatric feedign disorders. Her determination and collaborative spirit brought together international feeding experts to create a consortium of thought leadership, the Medical Professional Council, which helps direct the organization in identifying opportunities to accelerate identification, ignite research, and promote collaborative care for children and families. Her vision of creating an online platform for families to share advice and support, as well as providing medical professional education through workshops, conferences, webinars, vendor booths, and presentations at doctor’s offices, has made a substantial impact nationwide.
Shannon is a passionate and dedicated champion for these infants and children, their families, and the professionals who treat them. As a result of her vision, Feeding Matters is shedding light on the previously overlooked issue of pediatric feeding disorders. More importantly, they are increasing the awareness and understanding of the impact of pediatric feeding disorders on a child’s social, emotional, developmental, and medical well-being.