Our staff.
Michelle C. Heinen
Executive Director
Decades in the classroom affirm my belief that all children are capable of learning when the right services and supports are in place. I am an “accidental advocate” who has navigated the mental health system for my own two children. I am passionate about the power of peer support and am blessed to be able to “pay it forward” each day, supporting families like mine!
Jamie Prysock Administrative Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
Uplift is a kind and caring team with compassion and empathy, serving all types of family needs. I am grateful to bring my experience dealing with all walks of life. My family has three fur babies who keep life interesting and entertaining. “Mini Me,” my ostomy, came into my life in 2016 and taught me patience and how to advocate for myself and my family. What one person believes is the worst thing that could happen, may actually be the best thing for you. Uplift tailors their services to the individual and family and I am very happy to be a part of the journey!
Elle Sanderson Family Peer Support Provider
Elle’s journey took a powerful turn when her third child was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation, SYNGAP. This revelation ignited a fire within her to become a special education advocate. She evolved into a trusted resource for families navigating the intricacies of the education system, extending empathy and invaluable support to those facing similar challenges.
If you are outside of Wyoming and would like Elle’s services, contact her via risingstaradvocacy.com
Kala McWain Family Leader
Kala McWain is a mother of two from Casper, Wyoming. Her youngest son Braxton was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare metabolic disorder, at four days old. In the two years since his diagnosis, Kala has worked tirelessly to build public awareness of the impact that this disease has on both patients & caregivers. She currently volunteers her time on the advocacy committee at the National PKU Alliance, fighting for the Medical Nutrition Equity Act (HR 3783/S 2013), and is working alongside Mountain States Regional Genetics Network as Wyoming's Genetics Navigator. Kala is passionate about medical equity for the rare disease community at both federal & state levels, helping others find their voice in advocacy, and daydreams about better support for caregivers. She has found the greatest gift of community through PKU and feels blessed to be Braxton's momma.
Danelle Medina Family Leader
Hello, my name is Danelle, and I have a 17-year-old daughter named Briana. Briana has a very rare genetic mutation on GABRB2. Briana is one of the oldest in the world with this mutation and there are probably less than 100 kids in the world with this mutation. We had gone 12 years not having a diagnosis and I ended up finding the Undiagnosed Network and applied! Briana was accepted and we were able to fly to LA and see some amazing doctors at UCLA who were able to finally diagnose her with the rare genetic mutation. The diagnosis still seems like a mystery since it is so rare and not a lot of information, but every year we are learning more, and we are able to connect to other parents across the world who have children with the mutation and are able to bounce ideas off each other.
Christine Bullinger Family Leader
My name is Christine Bullinger and my husband and I farm in the northwest corner of Wyoming in the Otto-Burlington area. As the parents of 6 awesome kids and being a foster home, we have found that life is always an adventure. Over the years we have faced our set of challenges including children dealing with depression, suicide attempts, schizophrenia, ADHD, complex medical conditions, and more. Through it all, I’ve come to realize how important strong family relationships are to successfully navigate these challenges. In the process, I have had the opportunity to be involved with many great organizations including Wyoming Hands and Voices, Guide By Your Side, WY Early Intervention Council, WY Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities, and now UplIft. The right support and resources at the right times can make all the difference-making seemingly impossible situations back to manageable parts - and allow our children to reach their full potential and follow their dreams.
Denise Martin Family leader
My name is Denise Martin and I have lived in Cheyenne Wyoming for 8 years now and was born in Michigan. I have 2 children with Autism, one has depression and anxiety, and one has epilepsy and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury.) I also have two Grandchildren with Autism. I have been helping schools understand and formulate programs for these disabilities since my son was in grade school. He is now 28 and when he was young his schools needed a lot of guidance in understanding these disabilities and how to work with them. It gave me the experience to help my grandkids in their schools to help them receive the best education possible. I understand the challenges that families face when it comes to raising children with special needs. I am thrilled to be able to bring some of my experience to Uplift and help others.
Sean Murphy Family Leader
Greetings, everyone. I’m Sean, a palliative father, and this is Atlas, my son. Atlas was diagnosed with Alexander Disease when he was a year and a half old. Alexander Disease is a rare, genetic, and progressive neurodegenerative brain disease causing seizures, gastrointestinal issues, loss of ability to walk and talk over time, and paralysis. There is no cure but there is hope with a drug currently being researched in clinical trials. Our mission in the face of this reality and great challenge is to double down on quality of life as I continue to search for anything that can help Atlas and children like him. We spend as much quality time together as we can and enjoy the beauty and good in nature and the world in spite of everything this disease throws at us. I am a trained hospice volunteer — a Twilight Brigader in the No Vet Die Alone program — with over 2,500 hours of service at the bedside of veterans in VAs. As a caregiver and palliative father, my marching orders are twofold: safety and quality of life. I'm here to Uplift each other—to meet the challenges we are facing with compassion, courage, and strength... together.
Avery Nelson Youth leader
Hello, my name is Avery Nelson. I am 17 years old, and I live in Burlington, Wyoming. I have lived in Burlington for 7 years but before that, I lived in Alaska, New Mexico, and Arizona. I have 3 siblings, one of which is my twin. In my family, we deal with a variety of disorders such as anxiety, ADHD, OCD, depression, dyslexia, and other medical conditions. 4 out of the 6 people in my family take medication to help with these. Although we all deal with these kinds of disorders, you would never know just looking at our family. We are constantly joking with each other, and we all get along very well. We have been caught in a few situations where we have needed the help and support of others and it has been so helpful to know that there are people out there to give their support to us. I am just a youth though and so I have not gone through the same struggles that plenty others have but I do know how beneficial support groups can be. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work for such an amazing program and I really hope I can be helpful.
Here is a photo of me and my twin. She is on the left and I am on the right.
Rebecca Bullinger
Youth Leader
Hi, my name is Rebecca Bullinger. My favorite hobbies include art, music, and video games. I am a part of a family of 8 which has had more than it’s share of medical challenges. Personally, I am diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), an autonomic nervous system disorder. I also developed depression because of these physical symptoms. Since my diagnosis, I have joined Wyoming’s Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities as a student representative and founded Mindfulness Discussions - a student-led school program I started to teach useful skills for dealing with anxiety and depression and to share experiences in a positive and safe space.
I have always been interested in helping others with my family as my inspiration. I look forward to continuing to help others through this program.
