Patrice and Ian Fletcher An Unbreakable Bond

Story By: SAMANTHA CHERY

Patrice and Ian Fletcher have plenty to do to occupy themselves as a Gainesville power couple.

Patrice works as a Senior Administrative Assistant at the engineering consulting firm Jones Edmunds, and Ian is the Vice President of Education and Talent Alignment for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Together, they serve as church leaders at the Trinity Assembly Dream Center, own a business consulting firm, and run two 62 nonprofit organizations.

The hardest and most important position they fill is being parents.

In 2008, their son, Joshua Joel Fletcher, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a disorder mainly affecting babies and children that weakens muscle control and makes it increasingly difficult to breathe over time. Joshua had to be hospitalized for six months at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.

“It really was a heavy, heavy thing to learn,” Ian said.

Doctors told them Joshua likely wouldn’t live past his first birthday, and he would be bedridden at the hospital under 24-hour care.

The Fletchers had to make quality-of-life decisions, which are preferences for procedures and practices the hospital would perform to treat Joshua.

Instead of blindly accepting the doctors’ grim prognosis, the parents journaled about Joshua’s condition and researched suggested treatments and the effects they’ve had on others with the disease. They pushed back on medical orders with better options, and Joshua fared better than many of his doctors expected.

Joshua’s Gainesville pulmonologist, Dr. Pamela Schuler, staunchly advocated for the family, allowing them to take Joshua home with a ventilator. And the Fletchers were taught how to change the tube their son needed for breathing.

Throughout this period, Patrice and Ian’s daughter, Julia Fletcher, never missed an event as a competitive dancer.

“Joshua went to her competition with us, and we went to the beach and went to the zoo and went to SeaWorld and other parks, because we never just left him behind,” said Ian. “We took him with us everywhere we went.”

“If he was detached from that ventilator at any moment, he could pass away,” said Patrice. “But we didn’t let that stop us from going places, doing things with him and making him experience different things.”

Their persistence to not let SMA take away Joshua’s quality of life also allowed Julia to pursue her passions unhindered as well. Julia quickly became selfsufficient, and she grew up to be the detail-oriented, outgoing young woman she is today.

She’s now a 19-yearold health administration student at Santa Fe College, with plans to transfer to the University of Florida or the University of South Florida.

Joshua died in 2013, and in his honor, the Fletchers founded their first nonprofit, Joshua Joel SMA Life Inc., which raises money for the research necessary to find a treatment and cure for the disease. It also encourages families to advocate for a fulfilling life for their loved ones with SMA. Patrice’s hope is that the nonprofit can inspire Gainesville to build an all-inclusive park, similar to Legacy Park in the city of Alachua.

The Fletchers leaned on the support of their friends, family, and faith through the hardships they faced. They also received help from Ian’s workplace at the Chamber of Commerce.

Patrice’s forte is in customer service and event management. She first uncovered her knack for retail while working at K-Mart, which allowed her to be authentic and creative with how she showcased the merchandise. Her then manager, David Barden, inspired her goals as a workplace leader.

“My best skill is customer service, and it’s because of what he taught me. Not just what he told and how he led, but what he also said and how he carried himself,” Patrice said. “Throughout my life in every job, that’s been my focus: how do I serve?”

Ian’s strength is derived from the 25 years he’s spent in business management, which included 15 years as a Winn Dixie store manager before he dived into workforce development at the Chamber of Commerce in 2007.

Using their connections and knowledge to cater to client needs, the pair’s most recent offering to Gainesville is Xposure Consulting Firm, a company they helped create in 2017 to provide guidance for local businesses, corporations, and nonprofits.

Having jam-packed lives makes it difficult for the Fletchers to find downtime.

“The biggest challenge is I want sleep,” Patrice said. “I would love to just sit and watch movies and not think about all the work that’s not getting done, but this is the role that we chose.”

They fit their clients into their schedules throughout the week, during breaks, and after work, but they sacrifice sleep and relaxation to meet deadlines.

Despite their struggles, they’re grateful, as the firm has experienced steady growth without advertising their business.

Patrice and Ian are successful in their individual paths, but when they work together, they’re unstoppable in delivering for their family and for their community.