A Parent Guide is a specially trained parent of a Deaf or Hard of Hearing child who work as a “Guide” directly with families who have just learned their child cannot hear, or who have older children and are in need of the unique support that comes from someone else who has walked this path him/herself and can share from direct experience and wisdom.
Lisa Pettit
I was born and raised in Tucson. I live there with my husband Lee, my son Riley (born in 2000), and my daughter Sabrina (born in 2005). Sabrina is hearing. Riley was born 12 weeks early and spent the first 7 weeks of his life in the NICU. He passed his newborn hearing screen but at age 4, was diagnosed with moderate to severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and Auditory Neuropathy. He has worn hearing aids ever since. Because he was diagnosed so late, he had learned to lip read and was oral. Because he had a speech delay, he was enrolled in Early Intervention and received speech therapy since he was a baby. I am so thankful for that because, without that, he could have been so behind in language, as we did not know he was hard of hearing. Riley has helped guide us on this journey with what works best for him. Riley is attending Pima Community College and pursuing a degree in Digital Film Arts. We are very proud of the young man he is becoming.
I have been a member of Arizona Hands & Voices and a Guide by Your Side Parent Guide since 2008. I was so happy to find this organization and to know that we were not alone. It has been a great experience for my son to meet other kids who are similar to him. It has been wonderful meeting other parents and supporting and learning from each other.
Cheryl Gilroy
I have a Masters in Arts in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Education from the University of Arizona with an emphasis in Deaf Studies. My Bachelors of Science is in Special Education and Rehabilitation from the University of Arizona with an emphasis in Speech & Hearing. I am an Arizona State Certified Teacher of the Hearing Impaired (birth-12). I have more than 20 years experience working with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children and their families. I was a preschool teacher for 5 years at Phoenix Day School for Deaf (PDSD) and I also taught toddler class for several years as well. For more than 15 years I worked as a Hearing Specialist with AzEIP, Arizona’s Early Intervention Program; working with D/HH children and families in their homes.
My husband and I have 5 beautiful children, our youngest son was adopted from the foster care system. He was born bilaterally deaf, and wears cochlear implants. My passion is working with deaf plus children and their families. I am a strong advocate who supports families on their journey by helping them navigate the complicated state system hence the reason I became a Parent Guide. My vision is empowering families and D/HH children with knowledge in order to reach their fullest potential. My favorite motto is, the Hands & Voices motto: “What works for your child is what makes the choice right.” ™ I also enjoy volunteering as a Parent Leader with Raising Special Kids, camping, swimming, and hiking.
Katie Rawlings
I’m Katie, a passionate educator and mother of four, and my connection to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community is rooted deeply in both my family and my career. My world expanded when our youngest daughter, Evie, was born with a bilateral sensorineural hearing difference. As the only deaf person in our family, Evie completely inspired our path. Wanting her to have every possible option, I immediately began learning ASL. Today, our home is a language-rich environment where we use both ASL and spoken English. This choice has deeply enriched our lives, connected us to the vibrant Deaf community, and ensured our daughter has consistent access to language.
Evie didn’t just change our family– she inspired a change in the trajectory of my career. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and have been an English Language Arts teacher for nearly two decades. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to lead professional development courses for educators, focusing on supporting diverse learning needs and fostering inclusive practices in education.
To further my passion and expertise, I decided to pursue a Master of Arts in Special Education with a focus on Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the University of Arizona. In my professional role, I work as an itinerant Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, providing specialized instruction and support for DHH learners from preschool through high school. I am passionate about creating language-rich environments, knowing firsthand that early, consistent access is vital to our DHH kiddos’ lifelong success.
When Evie was small, the parent network at Arizona Hands & Voices wrapped around us, providing an essential continuity of care that we will never forget. Because of that positive impact, I chose to step into my role as a Guide by Your Side Parent Guide to give back to the community that supported me and to offer comfort to families navigating their own journeys. My mission is to walk alongside families, honoring their choices and ensuring parents of DHH children have unconditional support.
Liliana Herrera
I am a mom of three, Sofia (6), Yovani (3) and Jonathan (1). Sofia and Jonathan are both hearing. Yovani is Hard of Hearing Plus, which means he has multiple challenges. He has late-onset hearing loss. At 18 months, he was diagnosed with ZTTK Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. When he was 2, he had surgery for his third set of ear tubes and a sedated ABR. It was there that he was diagnosed with a hearing loss. He wears hearing aids and has miraculously kept them on since day one – I’ve been told that’s not always the case. Yovani attends a developmental preschool, which has helped him progress so much developmentally and socially. His teacher wears an FM system and we use one at home as well. He is a little guy full of life that loves to play with his sister and brother. I am still learning what it means to be on this journey and I continually see how my son has inspired me to have a new understating of life.
I became a parent guide to provide support to families and let them know that even though our paths might be different, they frequently cross each other. Being able to meet new families and gain new friendships and perspectives along the way has been priceless.
Laurie Sang
I am a native to Arizona. I attended Arizona State University where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical engineering and a minor in psychology. I currently work as a Regulatory Program Manager for a large medical device company. I have 2 children, Colby (13) and Brendan (5). We live in Gilbert with my partner, Matt. Brendan is deaf plus, meaning he has other medical challenges. He currently has had 18 surgeries for multiple things including being born with half a heart. Brendan has bilateral hearing loss and wears BAHAs.
We had a deaf/hard of hearing guide when Brendan was younger and it made such an impact on our family that I knew right away that I wanted to be able to give back to other families as well. I became a parent guide in November of 2020 and my passion is now helping other families navigate through the challenges of having a child with hearing loss as well.
Our journey is still going and we are learning together. Working hard and thriving.