Biography
TjaMeika Purnell Davenport lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with her husband, Edward, and their three young children. On June 6, 2006, TjaMeika learned that her second daughter, Kennedy, was born with a genetic anomaly resulting in a complex chromosomal rearrangement so rare it doesn’t even have a name.
As this affects every cell in her body, many parts of Kennedy’s body are secondarily affected. Through Children’s National Hospital, she has received exceptional care in numerous hospital departments, including: neurology, ophthalmology, ENT, cardiology, GI, physical medicine, orthopaedics, developmental pediatrics, sleep medicine and complex care.
Over the years, TjaMeika’s family has experienced countless specialty care location appointments, hospital stays and Emergency Department visits. Through these varied experiences, TjaMeika’s understanding of the family’s perspective and her background in education, she can offer constructive feedback and create change for better patient- and family-centered care.
As a parent navigator, she connects caregivers to resources and helps families of children with complex health challenges help themselves. She is grateful to be afforded the opportunity to serve others through the Patient and Family Advisory Council at Children’s National.