Tatiana graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice. Her career in Social Work began working in the Juvenile Justice system assisting youth obtain services necessary for re-entry into the community to ensure success. In this role she focused on identifying resources needed in the education, career, mental health and general health fields for each youth and their family. Thereafter she transitioned to community based social work where she would receive advocacy request from educators, court liaisons, nurses, etc., to assist individuals with identifying needs and resources needed to become stable and improve quality of life. For over 10 years, Tatiana has worked diligently to build relationships with hospitals, schools, courts, and community organizations to help bridge the gap of communication and community needs.
In 2019 Tatiana gave birth to a daughter named Eliana. At two months old, Eliana began to have seizures and over time they became stronger and more frequent. The breaking point for her medical team came the day Eliana had a 3 hour seizure, with no relief from medication, and had to be intubated. With many tests coming back negative, genetic testing was done and she was found to have the SCN1A gene mutation and was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome. Tatiana states that her motivation to join the Dravet Syndrome Foundation is to help spread awareness so that no parent feels alone or lost like she felt when she received her daughter’s diagnosis with this rare condition.
