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 Kell Dunham is a nurse, author and award-winning stand-up comic. More or less in that order, depending on the day. 

 Kelli writes and speaks extensively about medical self advocacy and caregiving. Her workshop: When A Casserole Is Not Enough: Building Teams of Caregivers is a popular addition to conferences nationwide because it combines practical advice, humor and personal experience. 

Kelli is also the author of four books of health-related non-fiction including How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Nursing School (FA Davis, 2008, 3rd ed), How to Survive and Maybe Even Love Your Life as a Nurse (FA Davis, 2005) The Boy's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU (Applesauce Press, 2013, 2nd ed) and the Girl's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU (Applesauce Press, 2013, 2nd ed).  

Experience

 In addition to her experience as a professional caregiver, Kelli has been involved in caregiving on a personal level for many years in a number of different situations including helping to coordinate care of her mom post- multiple surgeries with her seven (count em, seven) of her siblings. 

Kelli's was the primary caregiver for her partner Heather MacAllister who died of Ovarian cancer in 2007 and was a part of the organization of a greater care team Heather called The Lovetroopers. This was the first that Kelli learned of team caregiving and she got a close-up view of what works and what doesn't in these situations.  

In 2010, in what seemed like a statistical impossibility, Kelli's second partner, Cheryl, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and passed away less than six months after her diagnosis, from complications of chemotherapy. Cheryl was in the hospital for three months fighting for life and Kelli was surrounded by a family of friends who made it possible for Kelli to literally sleep on the radiator at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center to take care of Cheryl. 

Kelli's most recent book, Freak of Nurture, a collection of humorous stories, includes the account of her journey with both Heather and Cheryl: comedian Kate Clinton called the book "laugh out loud hilarious storytelling and bighearted caregiving." 

Because of her professional and personal experience, Kelli has become a consultant (on an informal and formal basis) with family caregivers trying to build empowered care teams. Kelli's passion is in creating caregiving situations that are beautiful even in their difficulty, where everyone involved feels supported and appreciated. 

Kelli's experience with caregiving became even more personal this past winter, when an infected knee replacement landed her in the hospital, close to sepsis, and her friends rallied around to take care of her during the hospitalization and after her return home. Kelli realized that being able to accept help was as much a part of caregiving as providing the help, and that caregivees need training, information and support just as caregivers do.   

Education

 Kelli achieved her BSN from Drexel University where she was a Rubert Memorial Trust Scholar and was the recipient of the Dean's Award for Clinical Excellence. She is currently working towards her MSN. Kelli's clinical experience includes three years as a primary care nurse at a nurse managed health center in Philadelphia, and almost a decade as a Nurse Family Partnership Nurse Home Visitor, working with first time new moms in their homes. 

Kelli Dunham, RN

 Because of my personal experience caregiving, I know it can tear you apart: physically, emotionally spiritually. I also know the joy of completing caregiving tasks, what a privilege caregiving is (even--or perhaps especially--when it doesn't feel like it);  how caregiving really deepened all of my relationships. I'm also acutely aware of how long to took me to recover from some of my caregiving experiences, even though I have a loving supportive family and community of friends. 

This is why I've become so interested in empowering family caregivers, because I've seen the difference good support and information can make. We are not meant to do this alone. I hope that you've find something on this site that informs you, empowers you, reminds you of the community of people who are privileged, stretched and challenged as you are.  If you don't find what you're looking for on these pages, please email me. I might not know the answer, but I'd be pleased for us to look for it together. 

References:

• Booking Kelli: If you're looking for a hilarious, heartfelt presentation, Kelli is available to speak on many health related topics
• Freak of Nurture (Topside Press, 2013), Kelli's book of comic essays and stories, many involving her caregiving experiences
• The Boy's Body Book & The Girl's Body Book, Kelli's popular pre-teen books