Founder
Mariah's story.
I know that child, because I was her.
A letter from Mariah
When people talk about chronic illness, they usually focus on the patient. Diagnoses, medications, treatments, outcomes. What they often miss is the ripple effect inside a home. The sibling who stops asking for help. The child who becomes the extra adult. The kid who learns to read hospital paperwork before they fully understand their own emotions.
I know that child, because I was her.
When I was ten, my mom was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. A few years earlier, my dad passed away, and our family learned how fast stability can disappear. As my mom faced hospital stays and recovery, I stepped into a caregiver role for my younger sister. I packed lunches, managed routines, and tried to keep our world from tilting further. I was proud to help, but I was also scared and exhausted, and I did not know where my feelings were allowed to go.
The Hidden Caregiver Network is for the kids who grow up overnight and become the strong one, not because they are ready, but because no one else can be.
Mariah Larronde
Hear it from her
A quick hello.
Mariah, on why she built this.
The path here
From a hospital waiting room to a national network.
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Born in Pie Town, New Mexico
Born to a single teen mom. The roots of a small-town girl who would learn early what families look like under pressure.
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Dad passed away
Family stability shifted overnight. The first quiet lesson in what loss does to a household.
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Mom diagnosed with ulcerative colitis
Hospital stays, recovery, and a new role at home: caregiver for a younger sister. Packing lunches, reading hospital paperwork, holding the house together.
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500+ service hours
Volunteer work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (now Blood Cancer United), National Kidney Foundation, and grassroots health campaigns. $10,000+ raised for pancreatic cancer research.
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Named Miss Henderson
The title gave a platform, and the platform needed a purpose. The Hidden Caregiver became the social impact initiative.
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Building the Network
Launching the referral village — a partner coalition, a filterable resource directory, Zoom interview stories, and in-person workshops like Every Star Needs a Circle. Kids growing up overnight need networks today.
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Crowned Miss Nevada 2026
From local title to state stage. Next up: representing Nevada at Miss America in September, bringing the Hidden Caregiver Network to a national audience.
What comes next
Help the network find the kids who need it.
If this story sounds familiar — from your own life, a student, a neighbor, or a friend's family — take a next step.