Bruce Eckel, M.D., grew up on a farm in rural Iowa and has always loved math, science, and children. He decided in 9th grade that he wanted to be a Pediatrician and has never looked back. He has had a large general pediatric practice since 1983 and has a special interest in international adoptions. He takes care of children from newborns through 21 years and is on several "second generation" families in Denton.

Dr. Eckel did his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Iowa. He then attended a three year residency in pediatrics at Oklahoma Children's Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma City and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He worked at Kings Daughters Clinic in Temple, Texas for six years before settling in Denton in 1989. He is married and has four children.

Dr. Eckel currently serves on the board for Serve Denton which is working to build collaboration and cooperation between multiple nonprofit agencies in Denton. He loves teaching new healthcare providers and holds the positions of "Adjunct Clinical Instructor" at the UTA college of nursing and "Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics" at the new TCU / UNTHC College of Medicine.

Dr. Eckel is founder and director of the North Texas International Adoption Clinic, which was the first of its kind in North Texas. The clinic helps with reviewing medical records and evaluations of children adopted from other countries. He has two children adopted from China as toddlers and has taken part in several mission trips including China, Russia, Brazil, Haiti, Romania, and most recently Kenya.

He is active at Southmont Baptist Church in Denton and has been part of the Kiwanis children's clinic, Ronald McDonald House project, Scottish Rite camps, Camp Copass, and several other volunteer projects over the years. He enjoys photography, panda bears, and sports as well as several other hobbies.

Nilam Akberali holds a B.S. in Psychology and Child Development with a minor in healthcare studies and a M.S. in Child Development with a focus on child life. She spent six years as a Certified Child Life Specialist in the Level 1 Trauma Center Emergency Department at Children’s Health, where she supported children and families through medical emergencies, traumatic injuries, and high‑stress procedures. She additionally has experience working with children across various medical diagnoses providing developmental coping support, play-based therapeutic interventions, and normalization. She is currently the Program Coordinator for the Adaptive Care Program at Children’s Health, which aims to support children with autism and other developmental disabilities navigate healthcare experiences with increased comfort and predictability. Her work emphasizes stress reduction, proactive identification of triggers, and accommodations for sensory sensitivities and communication preferences, equipping caregivers with practical tools to create supportive healthcare experience for their child.

Cosette Eisenhauer-Epp

Cosette Eisenhauer-Epp is a Chinese transracial adoptee born in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. She was adopted at 14 months old and has been raised in the United States ever since. Her lived experience as a transracial adoptee has shaped her understanding of the early childhood trauma, lifelong identity exploration, and complexities that adoption can bring.

For more than eight years, Cosette has been searching for her biological family and has returned to China twice—first in 2008 and again in 2026. These experiences have deepened her commitment to elevating adoptee voices, educating non-adoptees, and advocating for greater awareness of the emotional realities of adoption.

Cosette earned both her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). She also holds a Sports Social Work Certificate from the University of Michigan.

She is the Co-Founder of Navigating Adoption, an adoptee-led platform dedicated to sharing adoptee stories, building community, and educating others about the complexities of adoption. Cosette also serves as the Community Platforms Manager on the Core Team for Sisters of China. Her work has been featured by Today.com, KERA, and NBC Asian America, and she has been a guest on several podcasts discussing adoption, identity, and advocacy.

Tonya Eisenhauer

Tonya Eisenhauer is the mother of two Chinese adoptees, Cosette and Daniel. Cosette was adopted from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China, in 2002 at 14 months old, and Daniel was adopted from Dalian, Liaoning, China, in 2008 at 6 years old. 

Throughout her family's adoption journey, Tonya has remained committed to listening to adoptee voices, continuing her own education, and growing her understanding of the lifelong complexities of adoption. She believes that adoptive parents have an ongoing responsibility to learn from adoptees and create space for honest conversations.

Professionally, Tonya serves as a Bereavement Care & Volunteer Manager in hospice and previously worked as a Volunteer Coordinator at a church. She also served on the Board of Families with Children from China–North Texas while her children were growing up, helping support adoptive families within the local community.