A Hug Away Healthcare

On Christmas morning, with dinner to prepare and three young children enjoying their presents, Dr. Marisa Williams had plenty to keep her busy. Then her daughter appeared at the kitchen counter.

Twyla, about 3 years old, held up a newly opened toy alongside a picture she had drawn of it.

“Look, Mom.”

Dr. Williams stopped what she was doing. She looked at the drawing, then at the little girl eager to share it.

Today, that moment lives in a photograph and in a question Dr. Williams returns to often: What if I hadn’t stopped to look?

At 14, Twyla recently watched her original, one-of-one acrylic painting sell for $3,600 at a live auction benefiting LueWish, which grants wishes to women facing cancer, heart disease, and domestic violence.

For her mother, the occasion showed that nurturing a child’s gifts can turn them into blessings for others.

Learning to Respond

Long before Twyla discovered her artistic voice, Dr. Williams learned a powerful lesson about compassion through her own mother.

After years of estrangement, she had been traveling to Louisiana, hoping to rebuild their relationship. During one visit, her mother, who was battling breast cancer, handed her a pair of scissors.

“Cut my hair.”

Before chemotherapy and radiation could take her hair, she wanted to surrender it on her own terms.

As Dr. Williams began cutting, tears filled her eyes. With each strand, years of resentment and unforgiveness began falling away.

She recalled, “For the first time in almost 30 years, I stepped into the shoes of her firstborn child.”

Her mother survived breast cancer, and their relationship entered a new chapter. The experience taught Dr. Williams that sometimes the greatest expression of love is simply recognizing when someone needs you and responding with care.

While employed at a prosthetics company, she encountered a colleague struggling because his wife was dying of brain cancer and he could not find help.

Rather than overlook his circumstances, she began researching how to establish a hospice company.

Together with her sister, she founded A Hug Away Healthcare in their living room. Celebrating its 18th anniversary this December, the Katy-based company has served thousands of patients through home health, hospice, skilled nursing, therapy, and companion sitter services.

For Dr. Williams, whose work is rooted in her Christian faith, healthcare has always been more than a business. It is a ministry of compassion.

Making Room for Possibility

After six unsuccessful IVF attempts, Dr. Williams became pregnant on her seventh attempt and gave birth to triplets at age 42: Twyla, Gracilyn, and Darren.

Raising triplets while building A Hug Away meant balancing endless responsibilities while making room for each child’s individual gifts.

For Twyla, that gift was art.

When Twyla struggled to make friends at recess, her mother encouraged her to draw pictures of other children who might also feel alone and share them as a way to connect.

It was an early lesson that artistic talent could become a way to encourage someone else.

Dr. Williams continued providing art supplies, encouragement, and space for her daughter to create.

Recognition followed. Beginning in first grade, Twyla earned recognition at district and region 4 levels. Her artwork has appeared at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Simonton Fire Station, and Fort Bend County Fair events. She also entered the Doodle for Google competition during elementary school.

At the LueWish auction, Twyla shared what inspired her painting: “As I painted this piece, I thought about hope, love, and what it means to keep going even when life gets hard.” Its broken cross and chain represented bondage, while the restored cross symbolized wholeness through faith. Her art was becoming an act of love.

Her artistic gift had become a gift to others.

Art With a Greater Purpose

Twyla’s creativity now reaches beyond canvas through a collaboration with her father, Kenneth Reed, owner of SimPly Wood. Together, they create commissioned pieces combining her designs with his woodworking craftsmanship.

But Twyla’s vision extends beyond creating beautiful artwork. She hopes to use her God-given talents to bring hope, encouragement, and help to others.

Twyla welcomes collaborations with philanthropic foundations and charitable organizations interested in using her original artwork to advance their missions of helping others.

For Dr. Williams, this purpose reflects the message behind her book, Igniting Visions: From Ashes to CEO, and her mission to help others discover their potential.

A Hug Away Healthcare is now pursuing franchising opportunities, with Igniting Visions providing a pathway for mentoring and developing aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Instead of simply building businesses, I want to build people,” Dr. Williams said.

And she has discovered that building people begins at home.

As she transitions from the daily responsibilities of CEO toward her role as founder, she is finding more time to recognize and nurture the talents within her own family.

For years, she focused on building a business that would create opportunities for her children. Now, she is learning to step away from that business long enough to help her children discover and pursue their own dreams.

As families gather around Thanksgiving tables this November, her story offers a meaningful reminder: Amid our busy schedules, preparations, and responsibilities, take time to notice the blessings sitting right beside us.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is our attention, encouragement, and belief in what they can become.

Years ago, a little girl asked her mother to stop and look.

She did.

Today, that little girl’s gift is helping others.

After all, the greatest visions we will ever ignite are the ones growing right inside our own homes.