Radical Family Wellness Conference 2026

Kelly Ellis is a DONA-trained doula whose work is rooted in deep compassion, advocacy, and connection. With experience supporting over 100 births, Kelly has walked alongside expecting families both in person and virtually across the United States, Germany, and Italy, meeting them wherever they are with unwavering care and respect.  A mother of four through a meaningful blend of birth and adoption, Kelly brings both professional expertise and lived wisdom to her work. Her passion extends beyond birth itself, driven by a deep longing to support mothers in every phase of life. Kelly is devoted to educating, empowering, and advocating for families so they feel seen, heard, and confident as they step into parenthood.  Through her doula services, Kelly creates space for informed choice, emotional safety, and transformative birth experiences—honoring each family’s journey with intention and heart. 

Sarah Haddox is a women’s health practitioner and homebirth midwife with a foundation in physical therapy and a passion for physiologic birth. She earned her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from West Virginia University in 2005 and spent three years working in inpatient clinical settings before stepping away to begin her family.  Through her own hospital birth experience with an obstetrician, Sarah discovered that homebirth with a midwife more closely aligned with her belief that the human body is intentionally designed to grow and birth babies without routine intervention. She went on to have three homebirths, experiences that deepened her commitment to supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with trust in the body’s natural processes.  Alongside raising her family, Sarah expanded her training in women’s health and breastfeeding, becoming a lactation specialist as well as a pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist. In 2017, she had the opportunity to study under a traditional, unlicensed midwife—an experience that helped shape her understanding of the kind of midwife she aspired to become.  By 2021, Sarah began serving her own homebirth clients and has continued that work to the present day. She has now attended more than 70 natural, physiologic births and remains dedicated to supporting women and families seeking holistic, relationship-centered maternity care. Sarah hopes that future West Virginia legislation will continue to protect the role of traditional midwives, allowing women to have meaningful choices in how and where they give birth. 

Shayla Lucas is a West Virginia–born, raised, and educated entrepreneur, homesteader, and community organizer dedicated to building healthier families and more resilient local food systems and economies. She is the Founding Executive Director of The Local Exchange, a community-based nonprofit working to strengthen local food systems, support small businesses, and increase access to nourishing, locally sourced foods, healthcare, and non-traditional wellness support.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Shayla is a professional photographer and owner of Shayla Owens Photos, where she documents families, small businesses, and community stories with an eye for authenticity and connection. She brings hands-on experience in small business development, with a strong background in marketing, branding, advertising, and storytelling, helping entrepreneurs clarify their message and connect meaningfully with their communities.

She is also a stay-at-home mother of two and a farmer, growing and raising food alongside her family on their five-acre homestead, High Water Homestead. Rooted in lived experience, Shayla’s work centers on entrepreneurship, food sovereignty, and family wellness. She is deeply passionate about helping others pursue their small business dreams while creating healthier, more intentional lifestyles for families in her local community.