FALL 2025

At just 18 years old, Alana was facing more than most young mothers could imagine. Pregnant with her second child and caring for her toddler, she had recently aged out of foster care. With nowhere to stay, she took shelter at The Salvation Army while trying to figure out her next steps.

That’s when she connected with the Pregnancy Care Team at Sarasota Memorial, a program launched earlier this year to help women navigate prenatal care and connect with community resources.

The team quickly referred Alana to the Sarasota County Department of Health for obstetrical care, as well as Sarasota Medical Pregnancy Center and Healthy Start for additional support. At the center of that care was Michelle McLeroy, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, one of three OB Nurse Navigators, who became Alana’s steady guide through pregnancy and postpartum.

“Being an OB Nurse Navigator means more than just providing care,” McLeroy explains. “It’s about building real connections, offering support when it’s needed most, and celebrating the moment a family welcomes their baby.”

As part of her role, McLeroy checked in regularly with Alana through phone calls and texts, connected her with childbirth education classes, and ensured that she had access to prenatal and postpartum resources—from lactation support to community programs.

But Alana’s challenges didn’t stop at medical care. When her temporary nights at The Salvation Army ran out, SMH’s First 1,000 Days Suncoast Family Navigators stepped in. Together, Tina Wilson, RN, BSN, CBC, and Renee King, MSW, LCSW, worked tirelessly to find her safe housing, coordinate childcare during her housing meetings, and even furnish her new apartment with donated items—a couch, TV, household essentials, clothing and toys.

“You’re not alone on this journey. We walk with you, not ahead of you,” says Wilson.

The Family Navigators also secured a refurbished laptop from Mothers Helping Mothers to support Alana’s education, coordinated with Better Together to arrange childcare during her delivery, and made sure she never felt alone.

For Alana, that kind of unwavering support was life-changing. “What stuck with me the most is how I never felt judged,” she says. “I’ve been judged a lot—for being young, for having two kids, for not having everything together. But my family navigator saw me as a person, not a problem. That meant everything.”

She adds, “Now I have a village of support. I have people who believe in me and want me and my daughters to succeed. Without them, I’d still be stuck in survival mode, not knowing what steps to take or even what kind of help I was allowed to ask for. I might have just given up on certain dreams, thinking they weren’t meant for me.”

Together, the Pregnancy Care Team and First 1,000 Days Suncoast represent a growing collaboration across Sarasota and the surrounding counties. With Sarasota Memorial serving as the backbone, the initiatives bring together the Florida Department of Health–Sarasota County, CenterPlace Health, and a network of nonprofits, with support from donors and foundations including Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bishop Parker Foundation and Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

Their shared goal is simple but profound: to make sure that mothers like Alana don’t fall through the cracks during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

“Motherhood doesn’t require perfection—only presence and patience. It’s about showing up every day with love,” King says.

For Alana, that presence has made all the difference—transforming fear and uncertainty into stability, resilience, and hope for her and her daughters A’Miracle and Ava.

Learn more about First 1,000 Days Suncoast. To reach the Pregnancy Care Team, call (941) 917-MOMS (6667).