Melanie Balestra, JD, PNP, has dedicated over thirty years to her work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, helping children thrive in wellness. Melanie loves working with children because she appreciates their honesty and their mothers' willingness to listen. She has always had an innate sense of when something is wrong with a child. Despite believing she would be a "perfect" mother, she felt frustrated by her struggle to understand her own daughter, Leah. As an attorney, her purpose has been to identify injustices, and her passion for helping those who have been wronged remains strong.
The impact of Leah’s suicide led her on a journey of self-discovery and learning how to heal. As a result, she has written the book: Suicide: A Mother’s Journey Through Her Child’s Pain and created a program Straight Talk with Melanie to work with other parents who have have experienced the loss of a child to suicide.