Margaret Hughes is the author of Emma and Her Special Boy and the founder of Every Child Belongs™. But the story behind the books began long before Margaret ever imagined becoming a children’s author.
Through her experiences as a mother, advocate, and business leader, Margaret has spent decades working to create a kinder, more inclusive world for children and families. Her greatest teachers have been her children, Brad and Katie, whose lives continue to inspire her every day.
Margaret’s son, Brad, has faced significant medical and physical challenges throughout his life. Through surgeries, therapies and countless medical appointments, he has continued to greet the world with remarkable courage, positivity and a smile that those who know him rarely forget.
Brad’s influence also shaped his sister, Katie. Inspired in part by growing up alongside her brother, Katie became a speech-language pathologist, bringing her own extraordinary compassion to children and families.
When an appropriate educational setting for children who were deaf or hard of hearing was not available in their Maryland county, Margaret worked with a special-education attorney, state leadership and county education officials to advocate for something better. Their efforts led to the creation of a dedicated Deaf and Hard of Hearing elementary program, with Brad among its first students.
More than two decades later, the program continues to serve children and families—a contribution Margaret considers one of the most meaningful accomplishments of her life.
Throughout her career, Margaret has built and launched new products, businesses and technology solutions, holding senior leadership roles in product development, innovation, marketing and go-to-market strategy. Her professional experience taught her how to take an idea, build the right team around it and turn it into something capable of reaching people at scale.
In 2026, she brought those experiences together to create Every Child Belongs™—a platform to share stories and resources that help children approach differences with kindness and curiosity, understand one another more fully, and discover the friendships that can grow when we make room for everyone.