Paula McDonald is the MDFF Case Manager and provides various services to families served by MDFF. From advocacy to a shoulder to cry on, Paula has seen it all. She has literally "been there, done that."

Paula and her son, Ryan, were clients of MDFF for more than 18 years. Ryan, who died at age 23 from complications of Spinal Muscular Atrophy in 2003, was a secondary education major at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Paula always encouraged Ryan to live his life to the fullest...not to live his disability.

Paula is a 1999 graduate of Partners in Policymaking, a leadership-training program. She has been trained as a systems-change advocate and works to influence policies in order to make lives better for people with disabilities. She also has served as a parent advocate on the Managed Health Care Advisory Board.

She serves on the Family Development Services partership advisory committee and is trained in the No Child Left Behind act. Born in Maine and a resident of Indianapolis for over twenty years, Paula is the mother of a daughter, Shay. She has three grandchildren and three dogs.