Cari Cornish, Neighbor

Cari Cornish is a stay-at-home mom of two young children, Jessica (8) and Dylan (5). A lawyer by training, Cari traded power suits for jeans and a T-shirt when her daughter was born. She and her husband moved to Wayland eight years ago to raise their children in a small community with top-notch schools. Soon thereafter, Cari's daughter was diagnosed with a rare, progressive disease for which there is no cure. The family has scoured the medical community getting her cutting-edge treatment that included relocating to Durham, N.C., for six months when Jessica was 3. Having a special-needs child adds another wrinkle to what it means to be a great mom. Adding "fundraiser" to her repertoire, she just completed her first fundraising effort, raising over $17,000 to fund research for a cure for her daughter's disease.

Cari graduated from the University of Rochester and Boston College Law School. She co-chairs the "Just Like Me" program at Claypit Hill School and has provided free legal services to political refugees and families with special-needs children. She enjoys playing softball on the Women's Wayland Softball League, competing in an adult race league at Wachusett Ski Area, and attending as many Red Sox games as possible.