"Aunt WaWa, why are you a doctor? Do you like to make boo-boos better?" This question was recently posed to me by my three-year-old niece as I placed a princess bandage on a small scrape. I immediately answered "yes! I love to make boo-boos better." Later that day, I realized that I couldn't have made up a better job description for a pediatrician or why I love what I do.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I always knew that I wanted to help people and children feel better. This later led to me pursuing a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn. State University before starting medical school. I completed my residency in pediatrics in 2017 from the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY before moving to Texas in July of 2017 to start working at Cook Children's Medical Center.

I love being a hospitalist because I love getting to see patients of all ages. I love that every day is different and that every patient is different with a different illness and a different treatment. Every day, I feel lucky to have this amazing job and that I get to work here with the best team!

When I'm not at work, you can probably find me at home trying to find a new perfect cookie recipe. During the fall, my husband and I love hosting tailgate parties to watch the Penn. State Nittany Lions or my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. My husband and I have a beautiful daughter, Danielle, and a very spoiled labradoodle named Chewie.