Our Team
Staff
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.
Brooke Marshall
Brooke became involved with Miracle Babies in 2015 after her daughter, Piper, was born and placed on life support in the NICU at Rady Childrens Hospital. Her daughter spent the last two weeks of her life on home hospice care after living for 33 days.
Ever since the loss of her daughter, Brooke has been dedicated to helping families through infant loss awareness and has been passionate about perinatal mental health. She now has a rainbow baby; her five year old son, Levi.
Brooke has a passion for fitness and has run her own private personal training business for over eight years and believes in the impact exercise not only has on your physical health, but your mental health as well.
Brooke continues to volunteer throughout the San Diego community whether it be through her church or Miracle Babies.
Lucy Vasquez
Lucy is a former Miracle Mom who has previously served as an Office Manager in various Medical Practices and Legal settings. She has two children; her youngest son was born at only thirty weeks after her water broke at twenty-four weeks pregnant and was on hospital bedrest for two months. When her son was born, he weighed under two pounds and spent the first three months of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Lucy has dedicated her spare time being an advocate for prematurity awareness and premature birth and shares a special connection with families in similar situations because of her own experience.
As the Program Manager for our Mental Health Assistance Program, Lucy understands first-hand the emotions and uncertainties parents and mothers feel while pregnant and after giving birth to a premature baby. She feels incredibly honored to be part of this program and wholeheartedly supports its mission.
Susy Doole
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. In the summer of 2021 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.
Jesse Sotelo
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!
