139: Started Ella's Umbrella to honor and support others with Betty Mertens

Female Voices: Life and Loss · Apr 20, 2023 · 50m

Betty Mertens is a speaker, author, and co-founder of the non-profit Ella's Umbrella. She is mother to three children. Her oldest daughter, Ella passed away at the age of one in 2017 due to an undiagnosed heart defect. After her tragedy, she and her husband Kyle realized that they had a unique ability to support others through grief. Since then, they have taken what they learned from their experience and using it to help others. Betty has a B.A. in Communications and a Master of Organization Leadership from the University of Northwestern, MN, and an M.B.A. from the University of MO – St…