Dr. Nicole Mark
Dr. Nicole Mark was born and raised in NJ. She attended the University of Maryland, where she obtained a BS in Neurophysiology. She received her medical degree from Nova Southeastern College of Medicine and went onto complete her Pediatric residency at the University of Florida.
Dr. Mark is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been working as a pediatrician in South Florida for the past 21 years. In addition, Dr. Mark is an Assistant Professor at FAU Medical School where she teaches pediatrics to medical students.
She has been an active member in several non-profit organizations including eight years spent on the Board of the Youth Activity Center in Boca Raton. In 2016, Dr. Mark was elected to the Board of the International 22q Foundation.
Dr. Mark has a 17 year-old daughter with 22q11.2DS. Being both a pediatrician and a mother with a child with this syndrome, she understands the family dynamics of chronic disease, children that are different than their peers, as well as the medical issues that they face. She has spent the last several years focused on continuing to help put 22q on the map in South Florida by raising awareness about this syndrome which resulted in the launch of the new non-profit, Florida Conquers 22q. Her focus is to help make it easier for other parents to obtain support from medical staff as well as to educate the community about this syndrome.
Dr. Mark resides in Boca Raton, Florida with her husband and two children and enjoys spending quality time with the family, traveling, and playing sports.
Dr. Hanadys Ale
Dr. Hanadys Ale is a pediatric immunologist and allergist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital/Memorial Healthcare System. She was part of the Inaugural Class of FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and graduated with Honors in 2013. She then pursued her residency in Pediatrics at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital graduating top of her class. In July 2018, she completed her fellowship in Allergy and Immunology from the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and then joined the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Joe DiMaggio Children’s the same year. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the 22q Multidisciplinary Program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Ale has presented several research projects on multiple national and international Allergy and Immunology meetings. She has published her work in prestigious journals such as Pediatrics in Review, the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice, and the Journal of Clinical Immunology. She is passionate about Primary Immunodeficiencies, especially 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. In addition to providing patient care, Dr. Ale is an Assistant Professor at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
Dr. Ale is a dedicated and enthusiastic physician who is very passionate about the field of Immunology.
Maria Kneipple
Maria Kneipple is the proud mother of a young man with 22q11.2DS. She has been involved with advocacy since he was first diagnosed with apraxia at age 3, founding the Apraxia-Kids monthly newsletter. She was also the President of the Board of Trustees of Parent to Parent of Miami, a Community Parent Resource Center.
Since her son’s diagnosis of 22q just before his 7th birthday, she has devoted her efforts to 22q advocacy and awareness. She helped organize the first parent conference in Florida devoted to 22q in 2010, and also helped organize the annual South Florida 22q at the Zoo event for the first six years since its inception in 2011. Maria continues to attend and speak at conferences, educate professionals, participate in research studies, host awareness events, and support others throughout their journey with 22q. After being part of an informal, grassroots 22q community, she is excited for the opportunity to reach more families in need through Florida Conquers 22q.
Maria holds degrees in Biology and Computer Science and works as a software developer. She enjoys spending her free time with her family.
Beatriz Pol
Beatriz Pol is a dedicated Registered Nurse based in Miami, Florida. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Miami, she has always had a passion for helping others. Graduating from Jackson Memorial School of Nursing in 1990, Beatriz has since devoted her career to providing exceptional care to individuals in need.
For the past 20 years, Ms. Pol has served as the Director of Nursing for a prominent home health company in Miami. Her journey in the medical field has enhanced her ability to manage the complex care that a child with 22q11.2 requires. This unique perspective has equipped her with profound insights into the specific needs of both patients and their families.
Her son was diagnosed with 22q11.2 at birth due to a congenital heart abnormality that required open heart surgery at 5 days old. Since then, she has helped him to navigate the everyday challenges that a child with this syndrome faces. He is now 23 years old and is graduating this May with a Bachelor’s degree.
Beyond her professional duties, Ms. Pol is an advocate in her community and supports various causes. In recent years, she has extended her support to families navigating the challenges of 22q11.2 syndrome. She offers guidance and empathy, drawing from her own experiences to assist others in coping with the complexities of the condition.
Pam Miller
After being a foster family for 17 years, and having about 170 babies come through our home, we adopted a baby girl with 22q. I quickly learned that guidance from the medical field was very limited. My husband and I went to our first conference when our baby was 6 months old and we found knowledgeable doctors and researchers who were devoting their lives to those with 22q.
After gaining some of my own knowledge, my first contribution was to help parents who were just beginning to attempt to understand this new and unexpected world of 22q. Soon after I helped with 22q at the Zoo and I met several families experiencing similar challenges which have led to lifelong friendships. My daughter is now 19 years old and things look much different than the first few years of her life. In the world of 22q, people change, circumstances change, knowledge changes and we all need to be aware and helpful. I am excited to be working so closely with Florida Conquers 22q to assist similar families navigate the challenges that we all face with our 22q children.