Read Mia’s Washington Post article about special needs parenthood and leadership!

Amialya (Mia) Durairaj, MSc, helps new parents of special needs children incorporate their newfound identities as parent advocates with their desire for fulfilling careers. As one of the creators of Mindful Return’s Balancing Career with Special Needs Child, Mia strongly believes that the intricacies of parenting a preterm, disabled, or medically fragile child is excellent leadership training.

Based in beautiful San Diego, CA, Mia is the proud mom of identical twin girls who were born three months early. Her daughter Ada’s congenital heart defect resulted in a 14-month stay in the children’s hospital.  Sadly, Ada passed away in September of 2019 at the age of two and a half.

Initially unable to take care of her twins’ complex medical needs while working in a full-time role, Mia found balance in being a health writing consultant and freelancer. She has published in news outlets such as The Washington Post, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and the California Health Report.

In 2019, Mia returned to work full-time as a Senior Strategic Insights Manager for the medical device company Dexcom. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the San Diego non-profit Mama’s Kitchen.

Mia has a master of science in Nutrition from George Mason University and a bachelor of arts from Marlboro College (now part of Emerson College).