04/30/2026
Roy’s daughter Lucy was a micro-preemie born at 26 weeks gestation who spent her first five months in the Beth Israel NICU. She came home requiring a great deal of medical support, including 24/7 oxygen and pulse oximetry monitoring, as well as a gastrointestinal feeding tube and pump for all her nutrition.
Roy and his wife worked hard to keep Lucy healthy and out of the hospital, but she nevertheless became a frequent flyer at Boston Children’s. During this stressful time in their lives, Roy found the restorative practices he had trained in and used in his work as an educator to be incredibly helpful.
There were many ways restorative practices helped Roy’s family navigate conflict and build community. One example was a monthly music class for children who went home on oxygen, organized by Lucy’s remarkable pulmonologist, Larry Rhein. This Saturday morning gathering of parents navigating similar challenges was a gift they will always cherish—an opportunity to do something normal when life seemed anything but.
There were also challenging moments. At one point, Roy had to confront a physician regarding a highly insensitive joke. At another, Roy and his wife spoke up to raise awareness of a persistent communication and systems breakdown that put Lucy’s health and safety at risk.
Throughout this challenging journey, Roy’s training in restorative practices provided support and guidance that helped his family build resilience and support Lucy as she has grown up to thrive.
ABOUT THE STORYTELLER
Roy Karp is a dynamic educator with experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum writer, school and district leader, and member of the RJI Community of Practice (https://rjinstitute.org/community-of-practice). Roy was engaged in early efforts to implement restorative justice in Boston Public Schools and led an alternative high school in Lowell that used restorative practices to engage students facing significant barriers to education. As a trainer and coach with the Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University, he has trained hundreds of educators and students. Roy currently runs Tidal Water Consulting (www.tidal-water.com), which supports restorative culture change in mission-driven organizations. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife and daughter.
