Marianela's management and leadership experience in both for profit and not for profit organizations qualify her to be an effective leader in overseeing Miracle Babies administrative and programming initiatives. As a co-operator of three McDonalds restaurants she became proficient in a broad range of financial and operational best practices. Most recently, working at Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego she oversaw family care services and Ronald McDonald House operations.

Marianela has dedicated the last decade assisting families with critically ill children and she has been affiliated with Miracle Babies in various capacities since its founding in 2009. In 2015, Marianela came on board as program director working directly with hospitals, and patient families. Under her tenure Miracle Babies' outreach to NICU families has increased triple fold. Marianela created and implemented the MB Care Package Program and Miracle Hours at local hospitals.

Marianela is committed to the belief that as individuals we have a responsibility to give back to our communities. She is a graduate of California State University, San Marcos and Hamburger University. Marianela is a native San Diegan, where she currently lives with her husband, and two children.
Marianela strives to ensure that San Diego NICU families receive the unique support they need.

Sheila Kubota is a bilingual, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Director for the My Brain My Baby Program. Growing up, Sheilas father was in the Navy and she and her family moved every year or two up until she went to college at UC San Diego. Sheila likes to attribute her ability to relate to others due to having to make new friends in the 9 different schools she attended prior to college. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Communications, Sheila lived abroad in Quito, Ecuador where her passion for social work and Spanish language skills emerged. Sheila then attended San Diego State University for her Masters Degree in Social Work, and began her social work career with County of San Diego Child Welfare Services. After the birth of her first son Reef, her career shifted to working with youth in City Heights through Rady Childrens Hospital-San Diegos Center for Healthier Communities. While encouraging youth to enter medical professions, Sheila decided to follow that advise and began her medical social work career at Rady. After giving birth to her second child, Solana, Sheila became passionate about working with parents and infants and began working for Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns. This is where Sheilas knowledge base expanded to women hospitalized with high risk pregnancies, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and supporting parents through NICU admissions, as well as infant loss. This is also where Sheila began her relationship with Miracle Babies, and was able to see firsthand how much the MB programs assisted families during their NICU journeys. When the pandemic hit, Sheila returned to Rady as a supervisor of medical social workers and child life specialists and was able to expand her skillset for program management, clinical supervision, staff debriefings and liaising with community organizations. The leadership experiences were invaluable, but Sheila realized she was missing perinatal clinical social work. When Sheila heard that the My Brain My Baby Program was being created to fill a gap in maternal mental health services, Sheila felt this was her dream job. Sheila feels incredibly honored and grateful to have joined the Miracle Babies team and cannot wait to see the great things this organization can accomplish. When not working, Sheila spends time with her husband, 3 children, 2 dogs and 1 cat, and adores all things plant related.

Heather joined the Miracle Babies team after several years of staying home caring for her young children. Heather is a results driven individual who thrives on making a difference through charitable work. Heather has had many roles in the non-profit sector over her years as a stay-at-home mom. She was on the executive board of the MOMS Club International chapter in Mira Mesa for three years and served on the Board of Directors for a local organization that gives grants to individuals pursuing a career in the arts.

After graduating from the University of California, San Diego with a B.A. in Human Development, Heather knew working with children was her calling. She knew her most important role was going to be raising her children. However, everything changed for Heather when she had her youngest son, Miracle Baby Kaelan, at twenty-five weeks. He weighed one pound and fourteen ounces at birth. Heather spent over one hundred days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with Kaelan and discovered a shortage of emotional support for NICU families.

As a past program recipient, Heather has a very personal connection to Miracle Babies. Heather has a passion for the support Miracle Babies provides to families going through one of the most difficult times in their life. She is dedicated to helping this organization grow to its fullest potential.

From El Paso, TX, Casie graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. While previously working for a Community Foundation in El Paso, Casie earned her Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Casie previously assisted agency accounts with strategic planning, development support, and spearheaded community-wide initiatives, including a regional giving day. She is very close to her family and in her spare time, enjoys taking her dog for walks to the dog park and for car rides.

Meet Susy Doole, Miracle Babies volunteer and now team member. Susy began volunteering her weekends with Miracle Babies during the height of the pandemic at our local diaper distributions. This summer Susy came on as a staff member ensuring parents are able to be with their hospitalized newborns. Susy has a long-standing passion for helping families with sick children and newborns. A San Diego native, Susy earned a degree in Sociology from UCSD with a Minor in Psychology. She worked professionally as a Child Life Specialist at both Childrens Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and at Rady Childrens Hospital in San Diego. Susy helped families and their children cope with the hospital experience and prepared the children for surgery and procedures. Her father, a retired Neonatologist at Rady Childrens Hospital, first introduced her to the NICU, fueling her passion for helping families with hospitalized babies. Susy is very dedicated to serving families in need and supports the Miracle Babies mission.

Elana is a native San Diegan, however she left after High School to attend the University of Arizona obtaining her B.S. in Merchandising and Marketing. After 30+ years of living in Arizona and raising her family, she decided to relocate home to be close with her parents (her father is also a long-time native San Diegan) and other family members. Upon relocating back to San Diego, Elana decided to retire from her career in Cosmetics/Retail and Sales and follow her passion to join Miracle Babies as the events and special projects coordinator. Elana has held several leadership roles with various non-profit organizations and has been planning events for the past 15 years. She is an active Sustainer with the Sonoran Centennial NCL chapter and has served on numerous boards including Har Zion Congregation and the Arizona Girls Lacrosse Association. She is committed to helping others, always finding ways to give back to her community. When she is not at work, you can find her volunteering around town, on the Pickle Ball courts, at the beach or enjoying all what San Diego has to offer.

Em joins the Miracle Babies team as the Program Manager for My Brain & My Baby initiative which aims to support perinatal mothers suffering with PMADs. A native of Australia, Ems diverse career has spanned across many realms from Marketing at major Film Studios (Disney, Warner Bros), to co-founding a Non-Profit for underserved children, to Sales in the Wine Industry. It has been quite the journey. Em and her family often volunteer their time but her true passion for nonprofits was discovered while launching a Non-Profit Academy for students of all socio-economic levels who were aspiring athletes, artists, or entrepreneurs. Em and her husband live in San Diego and stay busy spending time with friends and family, traveling, and enjoying life.

Before Jesse joined the Miracle Babies family, Jesse worked at the Convention Center as a public safety supervisor for 27 years, Jesse is a dad to five grown adult children, grandfather to ten and with family playing an important role in his life, he felt working with Miracle Babies as a driver would be an opportunity to continue serving his community and families in need.

Miracle Worker, Jesse spends his days transporting families to unite them with their hospitalized infants. Thank you, Jesse, for your passion and devotion towards supporting our Miracle Babies' families!