A little about the amazing group of women who make our agency special...
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Sara Deaterla, LSW, MSW, MEdExecutive Director & Birth Mother Coordinator
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Sara Deaterla serves as Executive Director, Parent Coordinator, and Lead Social Worker for Special Angels Adoption. She is a licensed social worker and certified teacher/principal. Sara has worked in the adoption field for many years. Her compassion and sincerity lend to her ability to serve birth and adoptive parents well.
Sara and her husband, Mike, have seven children and 3 grandchildren. Their three youngest children were adopted via private domestic adoption, international adoption, and a foster care system adoption and all have some degree of special needs. In 2012, their youngest daughter, Marlee, developed a nearly lethal case of pancreatitis. Doctors believed her chance of survival was minimal, yet Marlee surprised them at every turn. Her recovery was nothing short of a genuine miracle. Sara and Mike attributed her recovery to what they lovingly call the “Marlee Factor”. Her extended hospital stay and astonishing recovery inspired them to start a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping families of children with special needs. The Marlee Factor Foundation serves families all throughout Ohio by assisting with gas and food for doctor’s appointments, the purchase of specialized mobility equipment, and raising awareness for the special needs community. Sara’s combined personal experiences with adoption and parenting children with special needs make her a tremendous asset to Special Angels Adoption. 
Sara's Inspiration: Marlee
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Jennifer KellyMedical Director and Agency/Outreach Coordinator
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Jennifer Kelly serves as Medical Director, Agency Coordinator, and Media Coordinator for Special Angels. Jennifer received her Masters of Science degree in Biology from Jacksonville State Alabama. She has worked in higher education or medical fields all of her adult life. Jennifer’s specialized training and experience helps Special Angels navigate the medical and logistical needs of our families. She is also able to provide appropriate education on medical topics and special needs adoption to families, agencies, attorneys, etc.
Jennifer and her husband, David, have adopted all their children. Their adoptions have been private domestic adoptions but it was their second adoption, a daughter, that first introduced them to special needs adoption. David and Jennifer were matched with Joy Elizabeth Nissa Kelly prior to her birth in October 2012, knowing that she would be born with a severe congenital heart defect caused by a genetic condition known as 22q. Joy’s first heart surgery proved more complex than anyone expected and she nearly died at just 4 weeks old. However, Joy received a miraculous healing so tremendous her story went viral. David and Jennifer were blessed with another 13 months with Joy before she passed away in December 2013. The light, faith, and JOY their daughter brought into their lives inspired David and Jennifer to look for ways to give back to the special needs adoption community. They hope that the work done through Special Angels Adoption honors the gift their daughter was to them. Jennifer’s passion for honoring her daughter’s memory, extensive training, and scientific mindset allows Special Angels Adoption to provide a truly unique service in the adoption community. 
Jennifer's Inspiration: Joy
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Gabriella Wilkinson, LSW, MSWProject Manager and Social Worker
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Gabriella Wilkinson serves as Project Manager and Home study Assessor for Special Angels Adoption. She has a Master of Social Work from Northern Kentucky University and is a licensed social worker in Ohio. During her time in graduate school, she received a certification for special training about trauma-informed social work practice. She has worked in social work since 2014 and in adoption since 2018.
Gabriella is a three time adoptive parent by private domestic adoption. Two of her children were Special Angels babies! She and her husband are also licensed foster parents and currently have placement of an adorable baby girl. Gabriella’s youngest daughter, Ellis, sustained a severe hypoxic brain injury at birth. She has since been diagnosed Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, Cortical Visual Impairment, and epilepsy, among other things. Ellis’s adoption sparked Gabriella’s passion for work in special needs adoption. Gabriella’s older two children, Audrey and Abram, are the best big siblings any mom could hope for! Gabriella’s combination of personal experience as an adoptive parent and as a parent of children with medical, physical, developmental, and behavioral special needs along with her professional training as a home study assessor and social worker bring a unique enthusiasm and set of skills to the Special Angels team. 
Gabriella's Inspiration: Ellis
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Helen TrippBookkeeper
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Helen serves as the Bookkeeper for Special Angels Adoption. She studied Accounting as a Minor at Southeastern Business College. She has over 30 years’ experience working in the Accounting field. She loves working for Special Angels because she loves helping others.
Helen and her husband, Cecil, have 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. The 2 oldest are from Cecil’s previous marriage and the youngest is from an adoption within the family. Helen was not able to have children and this is a huge part of her love of Special Angels. She feels that everyone deserves the right to be a parent. Her youngest child was recently diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and ADHD. Helen became involved in Special Angels because she has a huge love of children and wants to see all of them in happy adoptive homes. Her attention to detail and ability with numbers makes her the perfect fit to the Special Angels Team. She loves to learn new things and is always willing to take on new responsibilities to assist her team. 
Helen's Inspiration: Ripley
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Jerikah Barnett, BSWSecretary
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Jerikah serves as the secretary for Special Angels. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Social Work from The University of Alabama. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Social Work with a concentration of children and their families. She married her husband Zac in June, 2017 . They do not have any human children, but they spend their time spoiling their two dogs, Hank and Oliver. During her undergraduate internship she gained valuable experience working with children with emotional regulation and behavioral issues in an intensive residential care facility. During her time there she received a special training certification that taught her specific behavior strategies to assist parents of children with behavioral issues. She also got the chance to obtain experience and training in utilizing equestrian therapy with the children there. Jerikah prides herself in being empathetic to others and their needs. Her attention to detail and level of care makes her an asset to Special Angels. She is eager to dive in and learn more about the process of adoption and is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of our team. |
Photo credit: Aeron Johnson Photography
Our Founder: Kelly Grove
While Kelly no longer has an active role in Special Angels Adoption, we do honor her for what she has started here. After seeing several adoptive families hoping to adopt babies with special needs being turned away by adoption agencies because the agencies rarely had special needs situations and several birth families turned away because the agencies didn't have families hoping to adopt special needs, Kelly determined that a solution had to be found. That is how Special Angels Adoption (formally Special Needs Infant Adoption) was born. Since its creation in 2008, hundreds of loving families have been created through the connections made here.