The Halo Foundation exists to bring hope and care to Arizona families that have been affected by a child’s nonfatal drowning. We do so by focusing our efforts in resources, both financial and social, through imaginative programs that educate, uplift their spirits, foster a sense of community and help alleviate the pain and fear related to respite care.

When Denise tells people that she has co-founded this organization, their first question usually is "Were you personally affected by such a tragedy?" The answer is yes and no. Denise is a registered nurse whose practice was focused in pediatric intensive care. Following several years as a practicing clinical nurse, she obtained her Masters in Business Administration in Healthcare Management from The University of Phoenix and subsequently became the Manager of Pediatrics and Pediatric Intensive Care at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Having a career in this capacity gave her first hand experience dealing with this type of tragedy. She retired from this position upon becoming a parent. She didn't want to become apathetic about the education that she had worked so hard for and wanted to do something for the community as an example to her children. She did some soul-searching to discover what, as a nurse, impacted her the most. She readily came to the conclusion that drowning and nonfatal drowning were at the top of the list. She followed that up with some research and found that there were no organizations that provided resources to families impacted in such a way. The statistics startled her. She had two toddlers of her own. After all of that, she found her “calling". The idea for The Halo Foundation was borne of this desire.