Our Story

Each of our founders has had a medically complex child change their lives forever. We personally know the burden that the family carries when getting devastating news. We know that there is no choice but to keep moving forward. This foundation is inspired by families who have had help from foundations, family, and friends, as well as families who had to endure this journey on their own.

Our goal is to offer support to families and ensure they never have to walk this path alone.

CALLIE BIGRIGG, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

My name is Callie, and I am one of the original founders of Tiny Toes. I served 6 years in the military and have been in the construction field for the past 10 years. I married my husband in 2018 and became a bonus mom to my wonderful bonus daughter. In 2021 we welcomed twin boys into the world. We were aware that one of our twins may have complications at birth and I, a Reno local, was sent to Las Vegas NV to deliver my boys. Unsure what to expect, we were hoping for a two week stay with the twins. 9 months later we came home from Las Vegas back to Reno, with one “healthy” baby and one baby with a tracheostomy and ventilator. We were officially indoctrinated into the medical parent club.

I had no idea what parents of medically complex children go through until I was pushed firsthand into this world, and I had no idea there were so many right here in our community until I became a medical mom myself. I remember thinking there must be more help than this. Having seen what so many families face when they have a medically complex child, Tiny Toes was founded by myself, Amy Echard and Barbara Williams, all of whom have been faced with the challenges of having a medically complex child close to their hearts.

Someone once said if you cannot find the change you are looking for, you must be the change.

AMY ECHARD, FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT

My name is Amy Echard and I am one of the founders of Tiny Toes. I found my passion in mental health care and have been working in specialized care for patients suffering from various serious mental health conditions for over a decade. My husband and I have been together for more than 20 years, having met when we were barely considered adults. Our youngest, a healthy baby boy, was born in January 2005. By the end of that summer, we were fully immersed in the tumultuous and solitary journey of raising a medically fragile child. After years of uncertainty, hope, disappointment, pride, devastation and finally celebration, I’m happy to say we are now alumni of the medical parent club. Our son exceeded every expectation and is a healthy, independent young man.

Though we are so grateful for the lessons learned, the resilience unearthed, and a greater outlook on what's important in life, it’s a club I would never wish for anyone to be a part of, and I certainly wouldn’t want to go back. Even with my own experience as a medical mom, I had no idea how many families in our own community are living a similar nightmare. The journey is so isolating and all consuming, it doesn’t leave much room for supportive connection. Tiny Toes was founded by myself, Callie Biggrigg and Barbara Williams to support these families with love, financial support and a sense of community.

I can say there has been a lot of healing for myself since starting this foundation, healing of wounds I didn’t even realize were still there. My hope is that we will be a positive difference in this severely underserved population as well as an inspiration to those who can help.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”-Jane Goodall

BARBARA WILLIAMS, FOUNDER, TREASURER, SECRETARY

I'm Barbara Williams, a Registered Nurse with 42 years of experience. My background includes 25 years in ICU nursing and 17 years in quality and regulatory compliance. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Public-Health Nursing Certificate, and a Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Quality.
Outside of my professional life, I'm happily married for 41 years. My husband owns a logging company, with which I assist in the bookkeeping. We share a love for living on and tending to our small ranch which is home to dogs, chickens, and cows.
I enjoy hobbies like reading, participating in book clubs, antiquing and treasure hunting, flower gardening, hiking, kayaking and occasional travel. As a past scuba diver, I have memories of many dives and exploring underwater caves.
We're blessed with two adult children and three incredible grandboys! Being a grandmother to a child with a medically complex condition, while emotional and challenging, has also been humbling and enriching. I am immensely grateful to be part of Tiny Toes.

JESSI TALLMAN Board Member

My name is Jesi Tallman and I am excited and humbled to be able to serve on the board for the Tiny Toes Foundation. I consider myself a passionate, goofy, compassionate, strong and weary warrior. I am a wife to an amazing husband and mommy to two beautiful little girls. My oldest daughters name is Sawyer (6 yo) and my youngest daughter is Hadlie (4 yo). My girls are my pride and joy. Being a mommy is my favorite thing of all time. My girls have taught me so

much and help to remind me what really matters in life.

My youngest daughter was born with special needs and has redirected my passions towards caring for children with medical

complexities. I graduated with my Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2010 and spent the next ten years working in various local intensive care units. I returned to school

and graduated with my Masters from the University of Nevada, Reno as a family nurse practitioner in 2019. I have a passion for helping others and love the art of medicine. I enjoy medical research, patient advocacy, and love patient care.

Our family was blessed to be recipients with the Tiny Toes Foundation in 2023 to help Hadlie. Since first hearing about the mission of Tiny Toes I wanted to join the team and help in

any capacity possible. I am excited to promote the Tiny Toes purpose and look forward to providing support, strength, and encouragement to other families in need.

Misael Martinez

Hello, my name is Misael Martinez. I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, and for more than 20 years I’ve had the privilege of working as an international DJ, connecting with people through music and entertainment. While I’m incredibly grateful for my career, my greatest accomplishments will always be my family. I’ve been blessed to share the last 15 years with my amazing wife, along with raising our three beautiful children and continuing to build a life together.

Giving back to our community has always been important to me and my family. Whether it’s volunteering at local homeless shelters, helping families raise funds for medical expenses not covered by insurance, or simply showing up when people need support, we strongly believe in paying kindness forward. Our community stood by our family during some difficult times in our lives, and that support left a lasting impact on me. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to give back whenever and however I can.

I’m honored to serve on the board of Tiny Toes and help support children and families throughout our community. What’s amazing is that I first met the founders completely by chance while walking through our local mall. That unexpected meeting turned into a meaningful opportunity to be part of something truly special.

Jeremy Merlino

I’m Jeremy Merlino and I’m a native Nevadan who found out about Tiny Toes when our twin boys were in the NICU after being born at 25 weeks. Having our boys in the hospital for 4 months along with all the challenges and medical experiences we have seen since, my wife and I wanted to find a way to give back. The mission of Tiny Toes because very personal to us and we knew this was where we wanted to help. In 2026 I was honored to join the board and I look forward to doing everything I can to continue to build this amazing organization and help families in our community.

I am a husband and father of two. I have been a financial advisor in town since 2010. I enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife and two boys. I like to golf, play sports, camp, hike, fish, go to concerts, and just go explore new places with my family. We are a big sports family and love cheering on our teams including the Raiders, A’s, and all Wolfpack teams.

Katie Muzzin

I am Katie Muzzin, Assistant Vice President and Investment Analyst at Whittier Trust. I support the investment team with client reporting, portfolio management, and investment research. Prior to joining Whittier Trust, I worked at the Nevada Small Business Development Center where I helped entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities and secure debt and equity financing through detailed financial analysis.

I hold a Master of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno.

I am passionate about making a meaningful impact in our community and am honored to contribute to the Tiny Toes mission. In my free time, I enjoy yoga, cheering on Bay Area sports teams, and getting lost in a good book or Shonda Rhimes series.