Hailey Adkisson

Hailey lives in Oregon with her husband and three children. At six months old, her daughter was diagnosed with a rare and catastrophic form of pediatric epilepsy called Infantile Spasms. In that moment, Hailey was thrust into a world of. medical complexity and disability that she was very unfamiliar with. To cope with this new life, and provide the best support possible for her daughter, Hailey began an Instagram account called @growing_juniper where she details her journey of grief and gratitude. Through writing, she connected with other medical families across the world. In a life that can be very isolating, this community gave her strength and inspired her advocacy towards epilepsy, disability, and inclusion. Hailey's first book, "What is Epilepsy? A Simple Explanation of a Complex Diagnosis" was inspired by her then 7 year-old son who struggled to explain his sister's diagnosis to his peers. It was through this process that she realized the importance of explaining medical diagnoses and disabilities to children in a medically accurate but easy to understand way. From there, Hailey and her illustrator friend/fellow medical mom, Kelsey Diaz, launched their organization, "Simply Complex Stories" (website: www.simplycomplexstories), with a mission equip children with empathy and understanding, fostering a more inclusive world. When she is not writing and advocating, Hailey works full-time as a faculty member in the Communication Studies Department at a local community college. In her very limited down time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with family, digging in the dirt, kitchen dance parties, crocheting, and the feeling of being cozy.