About Tami.
Tami's Story
You might say the turning point of my life was the day that I went from a corporate boardroom to a hospital room and the 5 months that completely changed my life.
I was married and already the mom of two kids, when I happily discovered that I was pregnant with twins. That joyful surprise was followed by a shocking ultimatum: my husband said I had to choose between him or the twins. It wasn’t hard to leave my husband, but what followed was a nightmare. I was suddenly single, in a horrible divorce, and ended up hospitalized for 5 weeks before giving birth to extremely premature twins with serious medical issues. In the middle of all of that, I had to put my 14-year old dog to sleep!
"
We were founded on purpose, driven by necessity and our values give us bumpers to stay focused on serving our members and each other. We are our members. We empower the special needs community and those that support them. That’s why we show up to do this work every single day. We want to do incredible things for our members. Our values guide us and define what we stand for as an organization.
Indigo Kidz stands strong in its mission to create a global community for families with special needs kids that empowers, educates and entertains in a safe, supportive environment. We nurture the personal and spiritual growth of parents/caregivers and their kids. We’re committed to helping make all aspects of life…easier.
- Tami Gaines
Co-Founder & Chief Empowerment Office
Being a single mom with little support is difficult for anyone. When you add twins with medical challenges, it’s sometimes unbearable. My daughter spent four months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before she came home oxygen dependent, with monitors and on many meds. My son spent nine months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, five months in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and four months in a rehab facility before he finally came home at 18 months.
Tami has utilized her difficult experiences to write a book called Preemie Parents: 26 Ways to Grow With Your Premature Baby which is a guide to address the daily struggles associated with having a premature baby.
Throughout her journey, she began to imagine an organization that would support families like hers in ways that didn’t exist. She knew that she could create an easier path for parents of kids with special needs. That idea became the seed for Indigo Kidz.