Ashley McNamara has been a group leader in Naples with our children for almost four years.

She immediately felt a connection with Valerie's House because of her own loss as a child. An employee of Barron Collier Companies, Ashley was just 10 years old when her mother died as a result of Stage 4 Glioblastoma brain cancer. Ashley said there weren't grief resources available for her family to heal properly after the loss.

"I remember it felt like there was a piece of me missing, and I had no idea how to fill that piece in." ~Ashley McNamara

Ashley continues to witness the support provided by Valerie's House, as families come together and share about their loss. She says she is amazed by the group's openness and how the children create connections related to their person who died. Ashley said groups can be silly at times while still having tough conversations. Years later, Ashley is connecting to that piece of her that was missing in her childhood. She thinks about what a difference it would have made if she had a program like Valerie's House after losing her mother.

Ashley and her husband Brian, an attorney with McNarmara Legal Services P.A., are dedicated friends of the children of Valerie's House. We are grateful for Ashley and all of her love over the years!