Katie and David Lane can't wait to welcome you to Orlando!
- Hannah Diamond
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
“It was very emotional! I walked into the conference with a death grip on David’s arm. But I started to notice people walking around, and they looked like me!”
That’s what first struck Katie Lane when she and her husband David walked into the 2024 SHINE Nevus Outreach Conference & Reunion in St. Louis, Missouri. “The experience was amazing.”
Now Katie and David are thrilled to welcome the Nevus Outreach family to Orlando as our hosts for next year’s July 2026 conference! Katie and David are both Florida natives. She grew up in Northern Florida’s Tallahassee, while David was born at the bottom of the state near Fort Lauderdale — “We met up in the middle,” Katie jokes, after their respective families both moved to Port St. Lucie — and they started dating as young adults. After a 13-year career, David left the Navy and the two moved to Missouri, where their two sons, David Jr. and Darryl, still live with their families. But in 2013, Katie and David jumped at the chance to move back when David’s company asked him to open their new Florida office.
Eight and a half years ago, Katie started a new phase of her career. Frustrated with her previous job, Katie decided she was ready to make a change. David was fully supportive of her decision to quit, she said, but he had two conditions: “First, you have to get a part-time job because otherwise you’ll be bored doing nothing, and second, it has to be for Disney!” Katie now works for Disney Cruise Line, a total dream for someone who grew up visiting the park regularly with her family and staying at the Disney campgrounds.
Katie and David first attended the conference in 2024, but they’ve been involved with Nevus Outreach for the past ten years, largely through the Facebook community. Having access to a community of adult nevus owners has been incredibly meaningful to Katie.
“Years ago, right around when the internet started becoming more popular, I came across someone else with a bathing trunk nevus and satellites, and we corresponded by snail mail,” said Katie. “We wrote letters, we sent each other pictures, but eventually we fell out of touch.”
After a regular check-up with a new doctor, Katie noticed her medical paperwork contained a new term she’d never encountered before: Congenital Melanocytic Nevus. “When I was born, it wasn’t called CMN, it was ‘giant hairy nevus.’ It wasn’t until I had this new diagnosis on my chart that I started researching, and found the Facebook community and Nevus Outreach.”
“For a long time growing up — and even sometimes into adulthood — I was very aware of people staring at me,” Katie says. “It’s taken a long time, and I give David a lot of credit for helping me develop my inner strength and confidence.”
Attending the conference validated for Katie that she’s found that courage in herself and her friendships within the nevus community. For both Katie and David, the opportunity to build personal connections is among the most valuable parts of attending the conference. While Katie met up with other nevus adults in St. Louis, David and Molly Brown (his conference mentor) organized an impromptu breakout session for spouses of nevus owners: “While Katie was able to connect with [fellow adult nevus owners], I was able to build that connection for myself and get to talk to other spouses about the experience we’ve had.” Katie adds, “We can’t wait to see the people we met last year, we made some great friends we’ve kept in touch with!”
As seasoned Floridians, Katie and David want to remind everyone gearing up for Orlando 2026 to prepare for the heat.
“I know that July last year in St. Louis was humid, but it’s nothing like Florida!” says Katie. “For all my fellow nevus owners, I know I tend to overheat, so I just want to remind people to be prepared and bring your hat or your neck fan.”
And while Disney is, of course, a favorite destination, if you’re driving to Orlando or renting a car, David and Katie recommend checking out Bok Tower Gardens. “If you want to get a bit off the beaten path, we have tons of nature parks around here,” David points out. “Bok Tower is maybe an hour south and has beautiful flowers, plus an incredible tower with bells that is actually one of the highest points in the state of Florida.” And as a special insider treat for her Nevus family, Katie is absolutely willing to pass on her Disney wisdom: “Anyone who wants to go to Disney or is planning a family vacation, contact me! I will meet up with you, give you my tips and tricks, just let me know.”
Nevus Outreach is very appreciative to Katie and David being willing to serve as our "host family" this year.
A host family is a new concept in 2026-- serving as boots on the ground for conference staff and a familiar face for families coming to join us at the conference. Watch Conference Director Kim Hoogendoorn's Video to learn more about our new Conference Host program.
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