<div> <p>Melissa is the kind of guest that makes you rethink what’s possible.</p> <p>This week, we sit down with Melissa, a blind physical therapist, mom, and absolute force of nature who has spent her life proving people wrong. After losing her vision due to a rare case of shingles that affected both of her optic nerves, she was told a lot of things she wouldn't be able to do. She decided not to listen.</p> <p>Melissa shares her journey from learning blindness skills as a young adult to becoming a doctor of physical therapy and building a career in a field where many people assumed blindness would be a deal breaker. We talk about the barriers she faced in school, the skepticism she encountered during job interviews, and how she developed her own methods for evaluating and treating patients without relying on sight.</p> <p>We also get into the technology and accommodations that help make her job possible, the importance of communication and trust when working with patients, and why representation matters when blind people step into professions where others have never seen someone like them before.</p> <p>Outside of work, Melissa opens up about raising two teenagers, surviving grad school with young children at home, NICU stays, and how she and her husband built a life together while figuring it all out as they went.</p> <p>There are plenty of laughs along the way, especially when the conversation turns to teenagers learning to drive, family routines, and the realities of parenting kids who are almost grown.</p> <p>Melissa’s story is about persistence, confidence, and refusing to let somebody else decide what your future should look like. If you've ever wondered what happens when determination meets opportunity, this is a conversation worth hearing.</p> <p>Get your hands on the Blind Parenting Guide and Toolkit Bundle: <a href="https://bdbushop.com">https://bdbushop.com</a></p> <p>Support us on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/babiesdownbottlesup">Patreon</a>.</p> <p>Email us at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p> <p>Like our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/babiesdownbottlesup/">Facebook page</a>.</p> <p>Follow us on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@babies_down_bottles_up/">TikTok</a>.</p> <p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/bdbupod">Twitter</a>.</p> <p>Follow us on <a href="https://instagram.com/bdbu_pod">Instagram</a>.</p></div>