Today we’d like to introduce you to Nance England.
Hi Nance, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Turning Pain into Purpose: Our Journey with Penn
I’m a wife, a mom of four, and a nurse practitioner who’s passionate about making a difference. Our home is full — and full of life. We have Dutch (13, Penn’s best friend), Ford (11, Penn’s biggest fan), and Bo (8, his favorite playmate). To say our house is busy would be a massive understatement — we live loud and we live fully.
Despite being born during the pandemic, Penn’s birth was relatively uneventful. There were no complications and no reason to believe anything was wrong. But when he was about nine months old, we began noticing that he was missing milestones. He wasn’t sitting up, crawling, or babbling like other babies his age. As a mother, I knew something was off. We watched, we prayed, and then we began the long process of finding answers.
For six months, we bounced from the pediatrician’s office to developmental specialists to neurologists. At first, we were told he was just a “late bloomer” and to give it time. But when the MRI results came back, our fears were confirmed — Penn was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common movement disorder among children, and its severity can vary drastically. There
isn’t a cure, but symptoms can often be improved through consistent physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
We understood the assignment.
Our days quickly filled with appointments, car rides, and waiting rooms. Living on the west side of Nashville meant hours on the road each week just to access the therapy Penn needed. Drive an hour. Sit in the waiting room. Pray for a good session. Wait some more. Catch a nap in the car. Pick up the older kids. Repeat.
It was exhausting — physically, mentally, and emotionally. But we were determined to do everything possible to help Penn succeed. We knew there had to be a better path. We lived in a thriving city, yet it felt like a pediatric therapy desert.
One day, as I was lamenting our impossible schedule, my husband jokingly said, “We should just start our own therapy company.”
That comment stuck. It started as a whisper, then grew into a roar:
Why can’t we start our own therapy group? We CAN do this. We HAVE to do this.
If we were struggling to find access to care, other families had to be facing the same challenges. Maybe we could help Penn — and help countless other amazing kids in the process.
A little background: I graduated from Vanderbilt as a nurse practitioner, and about nine years ago, my husband and I started a company called Ultra Health Providers — a medical practice that provides on-site medical services to nursing homes. Over the years, we’ve grown to a team of over 100 providers across eight states.
Given our background in healthcare, the idea of building a pediatric therapy practice felt like a natural extension of our experience — and our calling.
So, we got to work.
With God’s guidance, doors began to open. We found a beautiful space, had a friend step in to renovate it, and connected with incredible therapists who shared our vision of creating a warm, joyful environment where kids like Penn could thrive.
In just three months, PEAK Pediatric Therapy was born.
Having a child with different abilities is just plain hard. But PEAK has given us something beyond therapy — it’s given us healing, PURPOSE and a way to help others who are walking a similar road.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road- nothing with kids, therapy or families ever is! There have been challenges along the way, from navigating schedules and resources to learning how to best serve each child’s unique needs. Every struggle has taught us something valuable. Watching families find hope and seeing real progress in the kids, makes it all worth it
We’ve been impressed with PEAK Pediatric Therapy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At PEAK ,we believe every child has the potential to thrive- sometimes, they just need the right team to help them reach it. What began as a personal mission quickly grew into something bigger: a place where families find hope, encouragement, and results!
Our team of therapists are dedicated the seeing the whole cild – their personality, their spirit, their determination. They build a plan that meets them exactly where they are!
What sets us apart is our family centered, holistic approach. We believe the best progress happens when parents, therapists, and children work together as a team. Families often tell us that PEAH feels less like a clinic and more like a community – a place where growth connection and possibility come together. Our greatest pride is in making a lasting, positive impact on the lives of children and their families.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peakped.com
- Instagram: peakpediatrictherapy
