Board Members

Aubrey Gillen

Chairperson

Hi, My name is Sara, and I have been apart of this group for a little over 2 years.

I am very excited to be more involved with this group and get to know everyone (now if I could just remember names that would be great). I have lived in Clovis my entire life, and I have been a small buisness for the last 17 years.

I have been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, Psoriatic Arthritis, OA, POTS, Gastroparesis, MCAS, Dysautonomia, Lupus, and Fibromyalgia. I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I have been married to my husband for 19 years and we have 2 adult children one of whom is married and blessed us with our first grand baby and a teenager. 2 out of 3 of our kiddos also have hEDS.

Myfavorite comfort item is my pillow with my pillowcase I made myself, and a good book

Ellen Inouye

Vice Chair

Hi, my name is Ellen. My EDS diagnosis came in 2017. It was a huge relief to find and connect with other local Zebras when we started meeting in 2020. Being a part of this community as we have grown has been such a joy and I am excited to continue building our community and local support network.

I have EDS, ME/CFS, MCAS, and Autism. Winnie is my service dog and I am an ambulatory wheelchair user.

My favorite comfort items are my current crochet project, Body Braid, and iPad.

Jennifer Veatch

Treasurer

I’m thrilled to step into the role of Board Treasurer. I’m eager to bring my background in numbers to help support our group and connect with everyone!

Outside of my new board duties, I’m a wife, mother, and the CEO of a local bookkeeping firm.

I was diagnosed with hEDS and MCAS a year ago and am still on the learning curve of living with dynamic chronic conditions.

My ultimate daily comfort go-tos are KT Tape and BPC-157 peptides.

Sara Rodgers-Downs

Secretary

Hi, My name is Sara, and I have been apart of this group for a little over a year.

I am very excited to get more involved with this group and get to know everyone (now if I could just remember names that would be great). I have lived in Clovis my entire life, and I have been a small buisness for the last 16 years.

I have been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, Psoriatic Arthritis, OA, POTS, MCAS, Dysautonomia, Lupus and Fibromyalgia. I am an ambulatory wheelchair user. I have been married to my husband for 18 years and we have 2 adult children one of whom is married and blessed us with our first grand baby this year and a teenager. 2 out of 3 of our kiddos also have hEDS.

Myfavorite comfort item is my pillow with my pillowcase I made myself, and a good book.

Sherri Johnson

Assistant Secretary

Hi, I’m Sherri. I am the assistant secretary.

I am a foster and adoptive parent having cared for 31 children so far. I have six adopted children and 3 grandsons, with a 4th on the way. Three of my adopted children have hEDS and POTS. They were diagnosed in 2012 after we flew to Chicago to meet with a national expert. It was difficult to find help locally back then.

I am certain that I have EDS myself, but have not yet been diagnosed.

I have been a teacher for 40 years.

I love music and live theatre. It’s great to be with fellow Zebras!

Staci Scheline

Advisory Board Member

Hi, I’m Staci. I’m married to a firefighter and I have 2 kids, 1 boy (possible EDS) and 1 girl. I was diagnosed with hEDS in 2020 after seeing a post from a fellow Zebra and realizing that all my struggles were not normal.

I’m so happy to be part of this community. Having other people who understand us is so important for our mental health and I’m excited to be here so others don’t feel alone.

My comfort go-tos are books, puzzles, and my noodle pillow!

Miranda Rivera

General Board Member

Hey, I’m Miranda, and I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of this group for a year. I was lucky to have been pointed in their direction after a diagnostic appointment with Dr. Kazaryan. Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive from the start. I only hope to add to this fantastic group anyway that I can.

I have Classic EDS, Lupus, POTS, incomplete paraplegia, neuropathy, and Raynaud’s syndrome. I am a full time wheelchair user, but can ambulate very short distances with the assistance of a walker and AFOs. I have 2 cats named Beans and Blossom. We all cosplay sometimes (yes even the cats). I love traveling and going to concerts (pending accessibility lol). I also sing in a local choir.

My favorite comfort items are my weighted and childhood blanket, my head and body pillow, headphones, and my phone.