Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Pritchard.
Kate, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to have a career in helping people. I graduated in 1992 from USC with a degree in Occupational Therapy. I have worked as an OT for over 30+ years in hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and schools. My passion has been advocating for people who are marginalized, underestimated, and excluded.
I married my soulmate in 1989, and we have two amazing children. My career has been incredibly rewarding, but being a mom to our two children has been my greatest reward. Life has always been busy, working full-time, racing to sporting events/practices, concerts, and attending all of the family events. An additional stressor for our family has been navigating life with a child born with special needs.
Our son Christopher has been fortunate that his life path has been wide and barrier-free. He is an amazing 31-year-old man, a Construction Engineer who is married to Avery, a wonderful daughter-in-law working in the field of environmental science in Arizona.
Our darling daughter Sarah is 27 years old and resides at home. She lives with cerebral palsy from a birth trauma, where the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, causing anoxia. Although her developmental journey differed from Christopher’s, we have always had high expectations for both of our children and have never treated our daughter differently because of cerebral palsy. As Sarah grew up, she had a multitude of weekly scheduled therapy and doctor appointments, a variety of pieces of adaptive equipment in the house, and modifications to accommodate her needs for safety, communication, and mobility. Christopher has always been an amazing big brother to Sarah, and they are besties!
Raising a differently abled daughter has made me a strong advocate and fierce warrior for inclusion and to level the playing field. I did not have to fight for my son to be educated properly, but I did with Sarah and often had to hire attorneys. Inclusion is not just having people who are differently abled attending a general education class. Inclusion is the ability to sit side by side with your peers and learn the same content while having the teachers meet you at your level of understanding and ability so you can maximize your knowledge of the subject.
Sarah graduated from high school in 2017 and has always been incredibly active in the community! She currently attends PHAME, Common Grounds, Every Body Athletics, Voices Unlimited, and Firehouse Elite Cheer Team Wildfire for Cheerabilities team; she interns 1 day per week at WAG-SNAX dog biscuits and works two days a week at Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn Shop.
Developing a rich, full life for Sarah is a huge responsibility. I have made it my life’s work to surround her with a vibrant community of Neurodivergent and neurotypical loving people who are positive, treat Sarah as a person and not as a diagnosis. There are so many exceptional, inspiring people in our community that motivate me every day. My daughter is #1 on that list.
As parents, we realize that other people are needed in our children’s lives to offer friendship, perspective, camaraderie, and personal growth. Because of Sarah’s vulnerability, it was hard to trust caregivers to spend time with her. However, since I will not live forever, I needed to start allowing caregivers into Sarah’s life who would take her places to meet friends, go to movies, attend dances, and exercise. It was soon clear that the turnover rate with caregivers was very high. It was so difficult when Sarah and all of us would get attached to a caregiver, and then they would leave mostly due to needing to make more money. This is how an idea was born.
In 2021, I opened STAND BY ME LLC, a licensed agency that provides Direct Support Professional (DSP) services to clients with approved Medicaid service hours through the State of Oregon. I wanted to hire excellent caregivers for our daughter who could make a living wage so they could stay. Support is coordinated through county services or a brokerage, working closely with case managers, families, and the individuals I serve who live with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
When referring to my client base, I use the term differently abled. Individuals are not defined by deficits, but by their unique abilities, contributions, and ways they experience the world. People who are differently abled bring valuable perspectives that enrich our communities and deserve to be meaningfully included. It’s about creating opportunities and helping to build someone’s life.
My business is thriving, and I am very proud of my direct support workers and the quality of care that they give to my clients.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Running my own business and making my dream a reality has not been a smooth road. My background is in therapy, not business ownership. I had to learn a tremendous amount about laws and regulations and build a team of professionals to surround me: CPAs, attorneys, and insurance agents.
Advocating for differently abled people has always come naturally to me, and it has been a pleasure providing direct support to my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
STAND BY ME, LLC was founded in 2021, born from lived experience, fierce advocacy, and a deep belief that every person deserves to be seen, valued, and included. I am very proud of the work we do and the clients that we support. I only hire employees whom I would trust with my daughter.
I became a dedicated advocate while navigating the school system with my daughter, Sarah. Along the way, I encountered barriers that required persistence, collaboration, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. I worked to ensure Sarah had access to the support, inclusion, and opportunities she deserved.
My advocacy led to meaningful changes – impacting not only Sarah’s experience, but also helping create more inclusive pathways for other students and families in their community.
Persistent advocacy has the power to create real, lasting change.
Fast forward to the present day, I am still a fierce advocate for my daughter as well as my clients. I am a trusted resource for families struggling to understand the process to secure services for their differently abled children.
STAND BY ME LLC is not just an agency providing a service. It encompasses a lifetime of caring for people who are differently abled and supporting them on their journey to success and maximum independence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://standbymellc.com
