LaDondra Willson and her siblings were all born at Parkland Hospital and received care at Parkland Health clinics over the years, but it was the care her mother received after a severe stroke that turned LaDondra and her family into lifelong supporters for Parkland Health.

“We had her care flighted to Parkland, and they obviously gave her the best care,” LaDondra, who was 10 years old at the time, recalls. “So, we’ve been advocates of Parkland ever since.”

Years later, LaDondra received a Community First Award from Parkland, which recognized young civic leaders in the community and offered an opportunity for participants to learn more about Parkland’s services. Through the program, she also applied and became an ex officio board member.

“When that program ended, they asked me to stay on the board as an official board member,” she says.

While LaDondra works professionally as vice president of social responsibility and executive director of the Wings Foundation, she also uses her background in more than 10 years of direct social services in her current nonprofit and philanthropic roles.

Through her role as a Parkland Health foundation board member, part of LaDondra’s focus is “educating the community at large about the amazing care so more people can contribute and be donors or even supporters — if it’s not financially donating but advocating and spreading the awareness of what Parkland is.”

We remain grateful for LaDondra’s continued support of our mission and Parkland’s patients.