I am a proud mom to Austin June, our healthy, strong eight-month-old daughter, born at 36 weeks following a diagnosis of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy. My husband Tommy and I met in Washington, D.C., married in Austin, Texas — the city that inspired our daughter’s name — and now call Redondo Beach, California home, along with our Irish Setter, Nellie.

My ICP journey began in July 2025, at 24 weeks pregnant, when I first experienced intense itching on my shoulders and forearms. Even my OB was skeptical of a cholestasis diagnosis given where and how my symptoms were presenting. It was only after speaking with family that I learned both my mother and my sister — whose bile acids came back elevated, leading to an immediate C-section at 36 weeks with her twin girls — had experienced ICP themselves. The fact that two people so close to me had lived through this, yet neither had thought to mention it when I became pregnant, made one thing immediately clear: we are not talking about ICP enough.

What carried me through those uncertain weeks was the ICP Care community. I found them on Instagram and Facebook, and from the moment I joined, I never once felt dismissed. The Facebook group gave me a space to ask questions and find women who truly understood, because sometimes just having someone say “this is so hard” makes all the difference in the moment. The ICP Care website helped me understand how directly diet impacts symptoms, a connection I came to rely on as I navigated my own flare-ups. I know what it feels like to have your doctor dismiss your symptoms. What it feels like to have so many unanswered questions. What it feels like to be up for days on end, crying, scratching, soaking in oatmeal baths, praying for your baby and praying for yourself. That community saved me at a time when I felt very alone.

Since my diagnosis, I have been vocal and open about sharing my story with friends, family, and other pregnant women. The silence around ICP within my own family motivated me to break that chain. If I can help save even one child’s life and spare one mother and family from that pain, then I have succeeded.

With over a decade of experience in public relations — spanning political communications, Capitol Hill advocacy, franchise brands, food and beverage, and technology — my background sits at a unique intersection of communications, advocacy, and governance. I am honored to contribute those skills to ICP Care’s mission, because every woman facing ICP deserves to feel supported, heard, and informed from the very beginning.