Samantha Ryan was born in a colorful, town in Louisiana. Convinced that the world had to be bigger than her hometown, she left her familial roots and created a path that took her to cities across the United States and the world. Possessing a natural gift for design and a penchant for history, Samantha channeled those talents into a life full of projects and historical enquiry. In her own words, “being a mom is the greatest job in the world,” Samantha spent the better part of three decades running carpools, cooking hot meals, leading girl scout troops and taking art and fitness classes for and with one or more of her three girls. A series of divine interactions led Samantha to impact a wider range of people than ever before when she co-founded Children’s Cross Connection (now known as Childspring International). Together the two of them brought hundreds of children with life crippling and life threatening ailments and afflictions from developing world countries like Ethiopia, the Philippines, Haiti and others to the United States for donated surgeries.