Today we’d like to introduce you to Wonders & Worries Heike Murphy.
Hi Wonders & Worries, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Wonders & Worries was founded in Austin in 2001 by Certified Child Life Specialists Meredith Cooper and Melissa “Missi” Hicks, who worked with children in pediatric hospitals. Meredith was Austin’s first pediatric oncology child life specialist at Children’s Hospital of Austin, while Missi brought experience from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston-Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
Through their work with families, Meredith and Missi saw a significant but often overlooked need. When a parent became seriously ill, children were frequently left with questions and worries they did not know how to express: Why is Mom losing her hair? Is Dad going to die? Did I somehow cause this? Parents, meanwhile, often struggled to find age-appropriate ways to explain an illness and help their children cope.
Meredith and Missi envisioned a community-based resource where children and teenagers could receive professional, developmentally appropriate support outside of the hospital setting. They believed this kind of support was needed not only in Austin, but across the country and ultimately around the world.
Over the past 25 years, that vision has grown into a nationally recognized organization. What began with one Austin location expanded to additional offices throughout Central Texas, San Antonio, and Houston, while innovative virtual programs, professional resources, and a national provider network have extended Wonders & Worries’ reach far beyond Texas.
Today, Wonders & Worries provides free professional support and resources to children and families navigating a parent’s serious illness or injury nationwide. As the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026, it has impacted the lives of more than 22,000 children and parents—and continues to pursue the founders’ original vision of making sure no child has to face a parent’s illness or injury alone.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the ongoing challenges has been finding the right balance between growth, sustainability, and innovation. As the need for our services has grown, we have had to continually seek the funding necessary to sustain and strengthen the programs families already rely on, while also investing in new initiatives and research studies that allow us to reach more children and families.
Growing thoughtfully and sustainably is important to us. We want to expand our reach and respond to emerging needs without outpacing the resources, infrastructure, and support needed to deliver high-quality services. At the same time, we know that remaining relevant means continuing to innovate—whether through technology, new programs, research, or new ways of connecting with families.
Like many nonprofits, we are constantly balancing those priorities: sustaining what works, identifying where the greatest needs are, and finding the resources to turn new ideas into meaningful services. It has been challenging at times, but that tension has also pushed us to be creative, strategic, and intentional about how we grow.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Wonders & Worries provides free, professional support to children and teenagers when a parent is diagnosed with a serious illness or experiences a significant injury. Our child life specialists help children understand what is happening, express their feelings and worries, and develop healthy ways to cope—all in ways that make sense for their age and stage of development.
What makes our work unique is our focus on the child. When a parent becomes seriously ill or injured, understandably, so much attention goes toward the parent’s medical care and emotional needs. Children can sometimes become the “forgotten patients,” left with questions and fears of their own. They may wonder, “Is Mom going to die?” “Why is Dad losing his hair?” or even, “Did I do something to cause this?” We give children a place where they can ask those questions, get honest and age-appropriate answers to what is happening, and know that their feelings are okay.
We are especially proud of the specialized curriculum we have developed over the past 25 years, created specifically to help children understand a parent’s illness or injury and develop healthy coping skills. It is clinically validated, and our programs are delivered by professionals with specialized training in child life and supporting children through a parent’s illness or injury.
But perhaps what we are most proud of is that the original vision of our founders has become a reality. Wonders & Worries started in Austin in 2001 because two child life specialists saw a need that wasn’t being addressed. Today, we have supported more than 22,000 children and parents through our locations across Texas, virtual services, professional resources, and growing national reach.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: when a parent is seriously ill or injured, children need support, too. They shouldn’t have to navigate that experience alone.
If you or a family you know could benefit from our support services, please visit wondersandworries.org and click on Get Support or Refer A Family to get started.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that you can have a clear vision for where you want to go, while still needing to remain flexible about how you get there. Over 25 years, the needs of families have continued to evolve, and so has the way we deliver our services. We’ve learned to listen closely—to the families we serve, to our professional partners, and to the communities we hope to reach—and allow what we hear to shape our programs and our growth.
We’ve also learned that meaningful growth takes time. It’s tempting to want to say yes to every opportunity to expand our reach, but sustainable growth requires building the right foundation, investing in our people and programs, and making sure we can maintain the quality and personal connection that make our services effective.
Most importantly, we’ve learned that the need for our work is greater than we ever imagined when Wonders & Worries began. That has reinforced the importance of staying curious, continuing to innovate, and never losing sight of the child at the center of our mission.
Pricing:
- Our services are always 100% free to families.
- Wonders & Worries exclusively relies on the generosity of the communities we support to provide our services free of charge. Our work would not be possible without the support of our corporate, foundations, and individual donors.
- If you would like to learn more about ways to get involved, please visit https://wondersandworries.org/support-us/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wondersandworries.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondersnworries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WondersnWorries
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wonders-&-worries
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WondersandWorries
