Meet the women behind U.R. Our Hope
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth Parker, PT, PhD, PCS, NCS
Co-founder & Medical Liaison
Dr. Parker graduated from Duke University in 1991 with a double major in biologicalpsychology and physical anthropology.She completed her Master’s degree in physical therapy in 1995 at the Medical College ofVirginia.She is licensed to practice Physical Therapy in Texas and Connecticut. She continues to have an active research agenda in movement disorders in autism with her colleagues inthe northeast from SUNY, Sacred Heart, and Fairfield University.
She has received a certificate in Advanced Pediatric Therapy from Texas Woman’sUniversity in 2004, followed by board specialization in both pediatric andneurologic physical therapy from American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists.Her dual certification in pediatrics and neurology is unique in the profession.
She is an item writer both for the national PT and PTA exams.
She completed her PhD at Texas Woman’s University in physical therapy; her dissertation is in differential diagnosis.
Her passion for the undiagnosed is channeled through this work and her role asmedical liaison for U.R. Our Hope, a locally based, but national group thatassists individuals with undiagnosed and rare disorders at any age or any stage.
Dr. Parker is a clinical associateprofessor of physical therapy at Texas State University. She maintains a small clinical practice through Growing Places Therapy Services in the Austin and surrounding areas.
Vanessa
Director of Communication
Vanessa is a mom of 3 children, and it is the journey of her middle child, Braxton, that led her to U.R. Our Hope. Braxton was born with multiple congenital anomalies that doctors were unable to diagnose. After 2 years and with the help of U.R. Our Hope, Braxton finally received a rare diagnosis of Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome. The support from other parents helped Vanessa heal and empowered her to push for further answers on Braxton’s condition. Although Braxton is now diagnosed, Vanessa has gained valuable experience and is compelled to support other families who are also on the journey. Vanessa joined the Board of Directors as the Director of Communications and maintains our website, social media and marketing efforts. When she is not working, she can be found hanging out with her kids or DJing with her husband in the Austin area!
Elizabeth
Director of Community Relations
Magda
Director of Community Outreach
Magda is a recent graduate from the Physical Therapy program at Texas State University. She works in an outpatient clinic in Austin, delivering 1 on 1 care to a diverse patient population. During her time at Texas State, she was the community service coordinator and participated in many U.R. Our Hope events, forming a passion for the organization and its mission. She joined the Board of Directors as the Director of Community Outreach, with the vision of using her voice to empower the community in giving back. In her free time, Magda enjoys music, traveling, and NBA basketball
Alex
Alex Murphy, PT, DPT, CPT
Director of Administration
Alex received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Texas State University and is also a Certified Personal Trainer. Alex is passionate about wellness, movement, and education and finds joy in providing hope and healing. From a young age, she has always been passionate about caring for others and empowering people through encouragement and education.
Alex currently works for Natural Fit Therapy in North Austin and at Baylor Scott and White Lakeway. She sees a wide variety of diagnoses daily at her workplaces and specializes in neurologic and geriatric care.
When Alex is not at work she can be found spending time with her husband, Felipe, friends & family, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Louie Felipe
Louie Felipe Murphy, CPA
Director of Finance
Felipe joined our board of directors in the Fall of 2022. He obtained a BBA in Accounting from the University of North Texas in 2018 and an Advanced Technical Certificate in Professional Accounting from Austin CommunityCollege in 2019. He has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant since July 2021.
During his time at UNT, Felipe was the Vice President of the Association of Latino Professionals For America, UNT chapter, where he helped to provide professional development, networking opportunities, and career resources to hispanic students from underserved communities. It was this experience in college that birthed Felipe’s passion for connecting underserved individuals with resources, community, and hope for the future. He is incredibly grateful and excited to join our board, and is working diligentlyto reach our organization’s financial goals.
In his free time, Felipe enjoys biking, golfing, reading, writing short stories, watching Mets, Jets, and Longhorns sports, spending time with his family, friends, and church community, and going on walks with his wife, Alex.
Meet our supporting members
Betsy Furler
Betsy is a speech pathologist and autism consultant with 20 years of experience in a variety of settings. She graduated from Austin College with a BA in Psychology and Sociology and from the University of Texas at Dallas with a MS in Communication Disorders. She also holds a Texas teaching certificate and is a certified PLAY Project consultant. In 2010, she began using the iPod Touch and iPad in therapy sessions. Her use of these mobile devices has expanded to include training educators to use them in the classroom. Betsy is also the mother of two boys, Henry 15 and Sam 9. Henry has struggled with many medical problems since birth. The family has traveled across the US in search of a diagnosis for Henry. After 15 years of searching, success with the ketogenic diet for epilepsy and Whole Exome Sequencing have provided some answers although Henry remains partially undiagnosed.
LeighAnn Montieth
LeighAnn graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in modern dance performance and a minor in mathematics. Following a career as the General Manager of New York Yoga, she received her doctorate of physical therapy at Texas State University in 2017. She is now a licensed physical therapist in the state of Texas and combines her love of all things physical and a passion for helping kids and their families by practicing at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She learned about U.R. Our Hope through Mary Elizabeth Parker and has been an active volunteer ever since.
Ashley Graves
Ashley completed her undergrad degree in May, 2009 from Stephen F. Austin State University, majoring in biology and minoring in Chemistry. She has a Masters of Biomedical Science from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. In May, 2017 she received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from Texas State University. After Graduation, Ashley joined Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth as a Neurodevelopmental Physical Therapist. Her early volunteer work and interaction with children developed her passion for pediatrics from a young age. Ashley continues to funnel this passion through her involvement and service in her community and work with many local non-profit organizations. She has been an active volunteer for U.R. Our Hope since 2015, and in 2018 was invited to join the advisory board.
Paige Foster
Paige graduated from Abilene Christian University in 2015 and received a Bachelor of Science with a major in kinesiology, pre-physical therapy and a minor in business administration.In 2018, she received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) at Texas State University and is now a licensed physical therapist in the state of Texas. Paige serves as a pediatric physical therapist at West Texas Rehabilitation Center in Abilene, Texas where she enjoys volunteering throughout the community and spending time with her dog. Paige first learned about U.R. Our Hope through Mary Elizabeth Parker while studying at Texas State University. Since then, she has volunteered with various events and encourages families on the journey to diagnosis to seek out the resources and support available through this organization.
Debra McDowell
Debra is a physical therapist licensed in Texas. She completed her PhD in Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University School of Physical Therapy – Dallas in 2008. She has been in practice in Austin for over 20 years with her practice and research focus on fall prevention for older adults and older women’s health issues. Recently, Debra was instrumental in developing a Physical Therapist Assistant program at South University, Austin. Presently, she is an Assistant Clinical Professor with the Texas State University Physical Therapy Program teaching in the neurology course series and assisting with the clinical decision making sequence. In addition she has taken the position of Administrative Director of the Texas State University Physical Therapy Clinic.
She joins our organization as an assistant to our Medical Liaison.
