Ellen Boyer

Happy Palm Sunday🌿✝️💛

My little Lottie Bea is 5 today! Celebrating her is so much fun. I love her sense of humor so much and love how she has a heart for others the most. Happy birthday baby girl. We think you hung the moon 🌙

In honor of National Heart Month, The Brett Boyer Foundation continues to change lives one heart at a time—funding critical CHD research, supporting families in crisis, and celebrating the joy of Down syndrome while honoring Brett’s beautiful legacy. “When we found out our daughter, Brett, would be born with CHD and Down syndrome… we feared what we didn’t understand,” shared Ellen Boyer. “We celebrate Brett’s Down syndrome diagnosis because it only brought goodness to our lives… We fight for more options for kids born with congenital heart disease. We want people to know how common it is and that they aren’t alone.” Caroline Bryan added, “The heart and soul is Brett—their daughter, my niece… We experienced the loss and the struggle firsthand and wanted to make sure it wouldn’t affect other families the same way.” Now partnering with 11 hospitals nationwide, the foundation funded the research behind the world’s first partial heart transplant and invested more than $1 million into research last year alone. “CHD needs a cure. Down syndrome does not,” Ellen shared. “If 1 in 100 babies are born with CHD, we have to grow to meet those needs.” ❤️ Through initiatives like Code Queen Bee and Hockey Has Heart, their mission is clear: no family should walk this road alone. Learn more + support: thebrettboyerfoundation.org @brightforbrett #BrettBoyerFoundation #CongenitalHeartDisease #DownSyndromeAwareness #NationalHeartMonth #HeartWarriors 💛🐝 ✍🏼 by: Morgan Raum 📸 by: Ford Fairchild

💗 LOVE LOCAL 💗 As February arrives, love shows up in all kinds of ways. Big gestures, quiet moments, nights out, nights in, handwritten notes, and simple reminders that the people and places around us matter. 💌 This month’s Love Local issue is all about celebrating love in its many forms—especially the kind that lives right here in our community. From the businesses we support to the neighbors we cherish, loving local means appreciating what’s close, meaningful, and deeply connected. 🫶🏡 As winter lingers and spring feels just around the corner, February gives us the perfect excuse to slow down, gather with the people we love, and reconnect with what makes our community special. 💞 Inside this issue, you’ll find stories that reflect the heart of our area, including: 🍽️ From Home Tables to the Counter – Art Insyxiengmay’s journey from pandemic pop-ups to Hattori Nori 🏠 Combining Architectural Authenticity with Modern Lifestyles – A talented team bringing homeowners’ visions to life 🎭 Setting the Stage with Will Butler – A local set artist redefining theatre design ✨ A Home for Life’s Milestones – The story of The Sloane, a family-owned venue rooted in community ⏳ Digging Up the Past – Brentwood’s time capsule and how our community has evolved over 25 years ❤️ And our cover story: Changing Lives One Heart at a Time — a powerful look inside the Brett Boyer Foundation, an inspiring organization funding research and raising awareness for congenital heart disease while honoring Brett’s legacy. “Love local” is about more than shopping nearby. It’s about celebrating connection, community, and the stories that bind us together. Every page is proof that when we show up for one another, we’re stronger. 💪💕 📖 Read these stories and many more—link in bio. Here’s to a February filled with love, near and far. 💕 • • • • #LoveLocal #SupportLocal #CommunityLove #ShopLocalTN #Brentwoodlifestyle

Every other Monday, we get the great privilege of bringing food to pediatric cardiac families right where our CHD journey started at Vanderbilt Children’s. Our home. Where so much love and care was poured onto our family by a tremendous team. Despite all the love we received, It isn’t always easy going back into those four walls. I never know how and when the PTSD or grief might sneak attack me. But today, I felt nothing but gratitude that I get to continue to show love to Brett in this way. It completely filled my cup. I’m so grateful that God has blessed me with the best team and equipped us to pour love and comfort on the families that are sitting where we once sat. That so many of you believe in our mission enough to support us and I hope it makes you as proud as it does me and our family. Every request from their team today, I was able to say yes to. Need more snacks on the unit? We’ll have them here by the end of the week. Need support items for moms to help them step away from the bedside? We’re on it! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to lift up this community until we can get research further along so that no other family runs out of options. Please join us today in lifting up all kids with CHD, their families, the providers and staff. Join us in praying for peace over their hearts and hope for tomorrow.

We celebrated our inaugural Brett Boyer Foundation CHD community day at the @nashvillezoo last Sunday and it was a blast. I was so happy to see so many heart warrior families and friends. 💙💛🤍 📷: @suhadabitphotography

In Franklin, Tennessee, family is everything 💖 This is the heartbeat of The Brett Boyer Foundation, founded by @ellenboyer and @linabryan3 to support CHD families, fund research, and uplift the Down Syndrome community. Nashville designer @juliecouchinteriors brought that same love and joy into their newly transformed headquarters ✨🌿

Pinch me… I still can’t believe I get to call this work 🤍 Sharing some behind-the-scenes moments I captured from one of our recent productions with @thedesignnetwork .

The best weather this year at Amelia Island. So thankful for time with the family and our little fish 🐠

✨NEW episode!✨ 🎙️ I sat down with Ellen Boyer this week on The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, and I was so moved by her story. Ellen is the president and co-founder of the Brett Boyer Foundation (@brightforbrett ), a foundation created in loving memory of her beloved daughter, Sadie Brett Boyer, who was diagnosed prenatally with Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect (CHD). She battled her heart defect (atrioventricular septal defect) for her seven inspiring months of life.  Ellen shared what it was like to be completely blindsided when her daughter Brett, at just 4 months old, had to undergo a really challenging open heart surgery. She opened up about the fear and heartbreak, and how that moment changed everything for her family. 💛 Ellen’s courage and mission with The Brett Boyer Foundation are such an inspiration. Tune in to hear this powerful story of turning heartbreak into hope. Grab your kleenex, because this one is an inspiring tear-jerker! 🥲 🎧 Listen now at 1girlrevolution.com/podcast, on #spotify, #applepodcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts! #1GirlRevolution #BrettBoyerFoundation #HeartWarrior #CHDAwareness #PodcastEpisode

SAVE THE DATE! Dear Mom, Conference will be returning to Laguna Beach, CA on April 18th, 2026! Ticket sales will open in the Fall of 2025. DM us to join our mailing list and be the first to know about registration details as well as Dear Mom, events throughout the year! 🤍 If you’re new here and wondering what the Dear Mom, Conference is all about… we work to create a space that will inspire, encourage, and connect Moms with other Moms on this beautiful journey of raising an individual with Down syndrome and neurodiverse needs. Our dream and our hope is to offer an enriching experience with your deepest needs in mind. We want to give you beautiful Mommas a moment to rest, recharge, and take care of YOU! Our conferences are filled with inspiring and motivational speakers sharing their own stories, as well as offering education and insight into resources available along the journey. There are breakout sessions throughout the day, giving Moms the chance to connect on a deeper level in smaller groups about topics that are specific to them and their current challenges/needs. Opportunities to shop and support self advocates and entrepreneurs in the Down syndrome community, as well as connect with nonprofits and organizations offering support are plentiful during breaks and meal times! Coffee is flowing all day long, and we close out the evening with drinks and our well anticipated Dear Mom, dance party! We hope so much that you join us in April! Already counting down the days until Dear Mom, 2026 🤍 #dearmom #dearmomconference #downsyndrome #downsyndromemom #downsyndromeawareness #downsyndromelove #downsyndromerocks #nothingdownaboutit #theluckyfew #downrightperfect #downsyndromeadvocate #thisisdownsyndrome #downsyndromediagnosis #dearmomletters #dearmomco #dearmamas #momlife #dearmomletter #dearmamaletter #dearmamaletters #specialneedsmom #specialneedsmoms #specialneedsmama #downsyndromemom #advocatelikeamother #specialneedsparents #specialneedsparenting #specialneedsparent #dearmomcommunity

ATTN: Speaker Announcement 📢 Dear Mom, Conference 2025 is proud to share that @ellenboyer of @brightforbrett will be joining us as an official speaker in April! Ellen is the president and co-founder of The Brett Boyer Foundation in honor of her daughter Sadie Brett Boyer. The mission of @brightforbrett is to fund CHD research, support families while inpatient, fund mental health initiatives for CHD families, and to celebrate the Down syndrome community. Ellen’s main focus is for all to know Down syndrome doesn’t need a cure, it is a cure for so many things in life. We are honored and so excited to have Ellen on our lineup in 2025. Thanks for being a part of our journey, @ellenboyer ! 🤍 Registration for our 2025 conference on April 12th in Laguna Beach CA is OPEN! Head to the link in bio to secure your spot and don’t forget to reach out to your local regional center for funding! Looking so forward to connecting with everyone 🤍 #dearmom #dearmomconference #downsyndrome #downsyndromemom #downsyndromeawareness #downsyndromelove #downsyndromerocks #nothingdownaboutit #theluckyfew #downrightperfect #downsyndromeadvocate #thisisdownsyndrome #downsyndromediagnosis #dearmomletters #dearmomco #dearmamas #momlife #dearmomletter #dearmamaletter #dearmamaletters #specialneedsmom #specialneedsmoms #specialneedsmama #downsyndromemom #advocatelikeamother #specialneedsparents #specialneedsparenting #specialneedsparent #dearmomcommunity