Honoring the Child Life Specialists at Beads of Courage!

Honoring the Child Life Specialists at Beads of Courage!

Program Director, Krista, with the mom of a NICU BOC member, honoring siblings with our Sibling Program.

Beads of Courage, Inc. is proud to employ staff from all fields and experiences to serve our mission to provide innovative arts in medicine programs for children and teens coping with serious illness, their families, and the clinicians who care for them. 

March celebrates the work of child life specialists across the globe as they prioritize the emotional safety of children, youth, and families impacted by healthcare and other significant life experiences. Beads of Courage, Inc. joins in on the celebration and extends our deepest gratitude to the Certified Child Life Specialists on our team who dedicate their time, talent, and expertise to support our mission. We also celebrate and extend this gratitude to all the child life specialists worldwide who partner with us and use Beads of Courage programs to transform the science of caring. 

Krista Burgbacher, Program Director, is from Pittsburgh, PA.
Krista Burgbacher, Program Director,
is from Pittsburgh, PA.

Krista Burgbacher, MS, CCLS – Program Director

Krista was raised in Western Pennsylvania and currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, two daughters (and two cats!). She has a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from West Virginia University with a focus on Child Development and Family Studies. She also holds a Master of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh with a focus on Child Life. She has been a certified Child Life Specialist for over 20 years with clinical experience in the pediatric and adult hospital setting and in community-based non-profit organizations. She has been with Beads of Courage since 2017. She spends her free time with her family and friends and enjoys being outdoors, skiing, and seeing live music. 

Lindsie Padden, Program Manager, facilitating our DREAM Activity.
Lindsie Padden, Program Manager,
facilitating our DREAM Activity.

Lindsie Padden BS, CCLS – Program Manager 

Lindsie was born and raised in Oklahoma and currently lived there with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies. Lindsie attended Oklahoma State University (Go Pokes!) and fell in love with the field of child life. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences and has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for over 10 years. Throughout her career, she has served pediatric patients with several life-threatening illnesses in the hospital setting. During her time at the hospital, Lindsie helped to create several special projects to support the unique needs of her patient populations like prom, a teen group, and a closed-circuit television channel. Lindsie joined the Beads of Courage team in 2021 and loves supporting patients and families around the world with Beads of Courage. 

Molly Timkey, Program Manager, is the lead for our Bead Strong Program.
Molly, Program Manager, is the lead
for our Bead Strong Program.

Molly Timkey, MS, CCLS Program Manager 

Molly graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Applied Developmental Psychology and received her Master of Science in Child Life from Bank Street College. Before joining the Beads of Courage team in 2021, Molly used her child life and child development education in various roles – from a Certified Child Life Specialist at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital to a Child Development Researcher at Fisher-Price. Molly spent most of her life in Pennsylvania, but after graduating from college, she moved to Western New York. This is now where Molly calls home with her husband, son, and beagle. Molly enjoys doing all things outdoors (skiing, hiking, and golfing), spending time with family and friends, and cooking.

Ally (McLaughlin) Snowden, Program Manager, comes to BOC from Baylor Scott and White McLane Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and leads our camp and DREAM activity experiences.
Ally (McLaughlin) Snowden, Program
Manager, comes to BOC from Baylor
Scott and White McLane Children’s
Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and leads our camp and
DREAM activity experiences.

Ally (McLaughlin) Snowden, BS, CCLS – Program Manager

Ally (McLaughlin) Snowden, BS, CCLS, is the Beads of Courage Program Manager for the Pacific
Northwest, West, and Southwest regions of the US. She is a strong military spouse, a loving dog mom, and
a proud graduate of the Pennsylvania State University. After completing her clinical internship at Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ally went on to work as a CCLS in various inpatient and outpatient
settings but found her true passion while serving the cardiac population at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Due to her dedication to student learning and promoting the field of child life; she worked diligently alongside colleagues to implement a child life internship program at Baylor Scott and White McLane Children’s Hospital in Texas. One of Ally’s biggest accomplishments is leading fundraising efforts for Penn State’s THON (a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer) where she stood for 46 hours without sitting or sleeping in pursuit of a cure. She has spent many summers having a blast while volunteering at camps for children with medical needs. She believes strongly in the value of honoring a child’s journey through serious illness while supporting the psychosocial needs of the family as a whole. Ally feels privileged and passionate to be working for Beads of Courage!

Beth Moneck, Assistant Executive Director, at the Association of Child Life Professionals Conference.
Beth Moneck, Assistant Executive
Director, at the Annual Association of
Child Life Professionals Conference.

Beth Moneck, MS, CCLS, CIMI – Assistant Executive Director

Beth joined Beads of Courage, Inc. after working nine years as a Certified Child Life Specialist I and II, and Interim Manager of Child Life, Volunteer Services, and Family Resource Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Beth served as a Beads of Courage Ambassador for those coping with cardiac conditions for six years. Beth holds a BS in Psychology and Neuroscience from Allegheny College, a Master of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology with a focus on Child Life from the University of Pittsburgh. Beth is also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor. Beth says her favorite part of her job is supporting our BOC team, donors, and interdisciplinary staff all over the world to support kids and families coping with serious medical experiences. Beth lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, daughter, dog, and two cats. In her free time, she enjoys time with her family and friends, enjoying music, fishing, gardening, and being outdoors. 

For more information on the Child Life Specialist profession, visit – www.childlife.org

Honoring the Child Life Specialists at Beads of Courage!, Beads of Courage
Celebrating 20 years of pioneering a new
way in which BEADS MAKE IT BETTER
for children and teens coping with
serious illness.