Our Team
Our Team
The People Behind Our Passion
We cannot carry out our mission without our youth leaders, board members, and volunteers
#KC4K Youth Advisory Board
Grace Jeffer
Senior Leadership
Amelia Kanjuparamban
Senior Leadership
Cecelia Chowdhary
Senior Leadership
Adam Prymas
Senior Leadership
Mel Malczewski
Senior Leadership
Allie Miller
Senior Leadership
Becca Tittl
Maddox Smith
Senior Leadership
Brooke Barger
Junior Leadership
Avalon Ayres
Founder, Graduate Advisor
Katy Gruber
Graduate Advisor
Kelsey Gruber
Graduate Advisor
Kaden Heldt
Graduate Advisor
TAF Board of Directors
Deb Ayres
President
BA, LMT, Certified Life Coach, NA Medicine Woman
Bethany Hefflinger
Executive Team, Secretary
WynHouse
Business Development Executive
Todd Whited
Executive Team, Treasurer
Ohio University
Marcy McMahon
Senior Advisor
Founder, Make-A-Wish of NW Ohio
Kristy Kaufman
Development & Events Committee Chair
Rehmann, Epic Toledo
Douglas Hoblet
Financial Director
MBA, Data Analytics
Buckeye Broadband
Megan Jackson
Member at Large
Brittany Craig
Advisor
VP, Danberry National
Matthew Ayres
Executive Team Information Technology, Security
Allie Hendricks
Marketing Director
Owens Community College
Miranda Moscinski
Executive Team, HR Director
GT Technologies
TAF Staff & Support
Jen Gruber
Programs Director
Sarah Demary
Programs Staff
Traci Cleghorn
Patient & Family Support Program Director
RN, Paramount Advantage
Casey Czubek
Youth Leadership Program Director
Lourdes University
Carly Miller
Programs Support
Alison Miller
Events Committee
Hyfah Hilou
Committee member
TutorSmart
Vaughn Hoblet
Legal Advisor
Sam Boubaker
Committee member
Jill Jacoby
Events Committee
Gina Rymers
Volunteer
Contract Transport Services
Margo Prymas
Shopping Mentor
Shelby Skiver
Events Committee
always Open
Committee member
Volunteer Today!
Anthony Cotton
Digital Advisor
Adly Digital
Wellness Advisory Board
Mary Beth Crawford, M.D.
Hospice Medical Director, Motivational Speaker
Lisa Richards, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC
Promedica, Endocrinology
Guldal Caba, PhD, ND, MEd
DrGuldal.com
Clark Ausloos, MA, LPC, LPSC, NCC
Julie Burrow, MD and Associates
Karen Hoblet, PhD, MSN, RN, CNL
Professor of Graduate Nursing, University of Toledo
Jamie Heldt
CEO, Curated Experience Consulting
Susan Hagemeyer
,Clinical and Mental Health Counseling Human Development
Open Position
Patient Rep
Help Needed!
Let’s Work Together
How It Began
Our Inspiration
It all started with the dream of a little girl, Avalon. She wanted to support other kids just like her.
Kids Caring for Kids
Avalon's Story
The Avalon Foundation began with an act of kindness from a 10-year-old girl who wanted to help ease the pain and distress of other children who, like her, live with a rare disease.
Avalon Budd was just 9 months old when her pediatrician became concerned with her gross motor skill development. It took almost 3 years to get a diagnosis: Hypophosphatasia (HPP), a rare genetic disorder in which defective mineralization (the process by which bones and teeth take up minerals such as calcium and phosphorus) causes abnormal development. Her parents poured over all the research they could get our hands on, but there wasn’t much available. There was no treatment available, either.
Avie couldn’t walk without gait issues, much less run or jump. She used a wheelchair and electric scooter to maximize her mobility throughout her childhood years. She also faced challenges with cognition, energy, and sensory processing.
In 2015, Avalon turned 10 and the FDA approved the first-ever treatment for HPP, an injectable enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) called Strensiq produced by Alexion, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-changing therapies for people living with rare disorders.
In just three months, Avie went from using a wheelchair to running and jumping around the volleyball court! The results were nothing short of miraculous, but it took time to start seeing improvements and Avie struggled with the pain treatment.
Injections are painful and mentally challenging, no matter what condition you have or how old you are. Avie said these injections, which were delivered three times a week, felt like hot lava under her skin. Other side effects were practically unbearable and rendered her immobile. She
Avie’s grandmother put together a “PainBox” to provide encouragement and rewards to get through each injection. This gave Avie the motivation to continue with her treatment and by 10-12 weeks she finally experienced noticeable improvements in her physical ability, endurance and overall comfort level.
Avie told her mom that she wanted to help other kids like her starting treatment. Nine months later, The Avalon Foundation was formalized as a 501(c)(3).