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Ellie McDonald
Ellie McDonald
Ellie McDonald
President & Founder
she/her/hers
Ellie grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Denver, Colorado in 2016. She moved back to her hometown in March 2019 to begin treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This treatment lasted for 19 months. Ellie is passionate about heath care and the connections between mental, ph
President & Founder
she/her/hers
Ellie grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Denver, Colorado in 2016. She moved back to her hometown in March 2019 to begin treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. This treatment lasted for 19 months. Ellie is passionate about heath care and the connections between mental, physical, and spiritual health. She loves learning about holistic approaches to healthcare and applying them to not only her own life but to Tend to You as well. She graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2018 with a degree in psychology and a minor in biology. She hopes to take this background and apply it to a career in the medical field. Ellie has been involved with nonprofits almost her entire life, especially ones that emphasize inclusiveness for everyone. In her spare time she loves rock climbing, snowboarding, and hiking with her dog, Lucy.
Lauren Sheehan
Ellie McDonald
Ellie McDonald
Chief of Operations
she/her/hers
Lauren lives in Central Massachusetts and works for a small marketing company managing daily business operations. Lauren attended Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, where she studied media and marketing. The intersection where media meets marketing is thrilling for Laur
Chief of Operations
she/her/hers
Lauren lives in Central Massachusetts and works for a small marketing company managing daily business operations. Lauren attended Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, where she studied media and marketing. The intersection where media meets marketing is thrilling for Lauren, and she has taken that intrigue and skill to the nonprofit sector. In addition to Tend, Lauren sits on the Board of Directors for another small nonprofit organization that looks to bring education to a rural community in Uganda.
Bringing a unique background experience, Lauren was so excited to join Tend's team and mission! Having seen the effect cancer has had on her family and friends, this mission to help individuals tend to themselves in a sustainable way is aligned with what she believes in, and she's excited to bring something this impactful to the community she grew up in.
Michael Stamos
Ellie McDonald
Paul Fitzpatrick
Financial and Legal Coordinator
he/him/his
Michael is from Chicago and currently lives in New York, but he has a deep attachment to New England, where he often vacations and visits close friends. His love for New England and deep interest in healthcare-related philanthropy drove him to join the Tend team. Micha
Financial and Legal Coordinator
he/him/his
Michael is from Chicago and currently lives in New York, but he has a deep attachment to New England, where he often vacations and visits close friends. His love for New England and deep interest in healthcare-related philanthropy drove him to join the Tend team. Michael is a financial and legal professional, with experience working as a paralegal and as an analyst of major mergers and acquisitions. He holds a BA in Law, Letters, and Society from the University of Chicago, and is currently a JD candidate at New York University School of Law. Outside of the office and the library, Michael is an artist and creative, working out of an art studio in Tribeca and studying painting part time at the Art Students League of New York. Michael is also a bookworm and proud nerd. You can find him in the park doodling or making his way through an old novel.
Paul Fitzpatrick
Paul Fitzpatrick
Paul Fitzpatrick
Secretary
he/him/his
Paul grew up and currently resides in Central Massachusetts. He has been in the hospitality industry for the last 5 years helping to grow the Welly's Restaurant locations. He previously had over a decade in the sales and customer service industry. Upon meeting Ellie and discovering Tend To You
Secretary
he/him/his
Paul grew up and currently resides in Central Massachusetts. He has been in the hospitality industry for the last 5 years helping to grow the Welly's Restaurant locations. He previously had over a decade in the sales and customer service industry. Upon meeting Ellie and discovering Tend To You Paul instantly wanted to become involved as we all have a connection with this struggle and journey. In discovery conversations, Ellie and Paul realized they were very aligned in their visions for Tend To You.
Paul is enthralled to bring his experience and empathetic heart to help Tend grow and make a difference.
Emily Oakes
Paul Fitzpatrick
Colleen Callahan
Director of Event Operations
she/her/hers
Emily works in the event industry and currently resides in Killington, Vermont. Being the social butterfly she is, she’s always had a passion and gift for bringing people together. She attended MSU Denver where she received her BA in Hospitality, Tourism and Event manage
Director of Event Operations
she/her/hers
Emily works in the event industry and currently resides in Killington, Vermont. Being the social butterfly she is, she’s always had a passion and gift for bringing people together. She attended MSU Denver where she received her BA in Hospitality, Tourism and Event management. Emily has always had a strong passion for giving back to her community and helping those facing hardships. She has ample experience in the world of fundraising and nonprofit events and looks forward to bringing that expertise to Tend. She couldn’t be more excited to join the Tend team and help her longtime friend Ellie cultivate a community for young adult cancer patients and like-minded individuals who wish to get involved.
Colleen Callahan
Paul Fitzpatrick
Colleen Callahan
Director of Sales and Marketing she/her/hers
Colleen is originally from Chicago and currently resides in Cambridge, MA. Her love for New England stems from spending summers on Cape Cod and attending the University of Vermont to study Sociology and ASL. She loves New England for the beautiful foliage, mountain r
Director of Sales and Marketing she/her/hers
Colleen is originally from Chicago and currently resides in Cambridge, MA. Her love for New England stems from spending summers on Cape Cod and attending the University of Vermont to study Sociology and ASL. She loves New England for the beautiful foliage, mountain ranges, and the convenience of the accessibility to so many amazing states nearby.
Colleen is passionate about practicing self care through meditative practices such as, breathing, writing, and spending time outdoors. She loves to make new connections, find solutions to tough problems, and offer honest, candid advice to the people around her.
With experience in operations, marketing, business management and more, Colleen was eager to join the Tend to you team after befriending Ellie in 2020. She felt inspired by her personal story and the Tend To You inc mission of supporting both the new England community and the cancer community. In her free time she enjoys live music of any genre, writing poetry, and enjoying nature.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 24.
As expected, life got very dark for me. Turning to whatever I could, I found light in mindfulness practices. I became hyper aware of the ingredients in my food and beauty products, and I noticed my nutrition, sleeping, and exercise habits. I tuned in to me, Ellie, and made her my number one priority.
At first, it was overwhelming and it was too easy to spiral into a negative space. I knew I had lost control of a lot, so I began to focus on what I could control and I made that my power.
How I treated my body became the most important aspect of my life. Where I chose to spend my money also mattered like never before. I began to think of food, and how it can be prepared, as medicine. I turned to holistic approaches in tandem with treatment, and I did what I knew I could do to care for my body naturally and provide her with the best support. I also turned with new appreciation to calming practices such as yoga. While my body was fighting off the cancer, we (my body & I) made an agreement: She would get me through this & in turn I would treat her like the temple she is and pay attention to the food & products I put in and on her. She was fighting the big fight, no need to make her fight off damaging products or thoughts.
I was overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork I had collected and appointments to prepare for. I couldn’t even focus on any of it. I just wanted to get out of my head, relax my body, and get through treatment. The support I received was amazing, especially the suggestions and gifts that helped me to manage my chemo side effects. I began to think about other patients around me and how we all could benefit from some sort of wellness package.
Now that I’m on the other end of treatment, I am turning this idea into reality. I want to highlight local businesses while also encouraging cancer patients to tend to themselves. This is how Tend to You was born. With the support from my diligent board and talented partners, Tend is my way of showing light to others.
At one point, it felt like I had to choose between happiness or sadness. But no...life is contradicting, complicated, crazy and unpredictable. This shit ain’t black and white!!! And there is not one right way for things to be done. I'm still learning myself, but know for sure that I want to be and stay well. There are many ways up the mountain, and no real guides. But we can help each other along the way, and that’s what I’m trying to do with Tend.
