Some families come together slowly. For Stacey and Pratip, it happened with intention—and with one clear requirement: a place where all of their children could come home to.

That sense of connection is exactly what they found. Stacey and Pratip especially appreciate Thornwood's beautiful natural surroundings, from the mature trees and peaceful ponds to the miles of walking trails that encourage them to slow down and enjoy time together. They value living in a neighborhood where so many residents share similar priorities—a love of family, a strong sense of community, and genuine connections with one another.

Stacey and Pratip married in 2022, blending Stacey's three children with Pratip's two into one household. They moved to Thornwood in March 2023, drawn by more than just a house. "We were looking for a community that would provide a sense of connection and a home where all of our children could live together," they shared. Thornwood, with its trees, ponds, and trails, and neighbors who share that same family-first outlook, checked every box.

Pratip's road to Thornwood started far from Illinois. Born in India and raised in Zambia, he attended boarding school in India before heading to the U.S. for undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Stacey grew up in Hanover Park and earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Loyola University in Chicago. 

Their story together began in 2021, the year they met—and the same year they launched Enlightened Connections, a custom travel company inspired by a trip to Morocco, where Pratip proposed in the desert. Their tour guide, Mustapha, who grew up in the Sahara and dreamed of starting a business that gave back to single mothers and their children, became more than a guide—he became a partner. Today, 25 percent of every Enlightened Connections trip goes directly to women and children in Morocco, with plans to eventually fund medical clinics and education programs there.

That same heart for helping others has shaped both of their careers. 

Stacey spent 10 years at Maryville Academy, where she worked with children and adolescents who had experienced severe trauma, eventually becoming Program Director of the Scott Nolan Center's dual-diagnosis program. While raising her family, she returned to Loyola to earn her Master of Social Work and then spent 17 years as a school social worker serving students in Buffalo Grove and Wheeling. Following a traumatic brain injury caused by a car accident, Stacey embraced a new chapter by earning her Doctorate in Social Work from Tulane University in 2022. Today, she provides private therapy while pursuing certification in equine-assisted therapy through the University of Denver. 

Pratip's career has been guided by both curiosity and compassion. After earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin, he was accepted into the combined M.D./Ph.D. program at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, graduating as both a pediatrician and a Ph.D. in Immunology. He completed his pediatric residency at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, where he remained on staff for seven years before becoming a pediatrician—and later Chief Medical Officer—at KSB Hospital in Dixon, Illinois. Along the way, he helped establish HIV clinics in Africa, developed an international medicine program in Peru, and worked alongside Native American tribes in Oregon to create a new medical clinic while Stacey supported tribal education programs. Today, Pratip focuses his practice on caring for neurodivergent children and adolescents. 

Together, Pratip and Stacey recently opened Mindful Mavens in St. Charles, where they provide an integrated approach to care by combining pediatric medicine, therapy, parent education, and family support under one roof.

Their five children are now scattered across the map, chasing very different paths: a pre-K teacher recently home from Japan with his wife and young son; a stage combat performer and choreographer in the city; a college senior teaching in Ecuador and pursuing Anthropology and Sociology in Louisiana; a college senior pursuing psychology in Louisiana, hoping to be a clinical psychologist; and a 16-year-old golfer with dreams of medical school.

At home, the household is full in every sense—two rescued dogs, Yoda and Blu, and two horses, Hamilton and Koko, who are boarded at HoneyBridge Ranch and part of the Horsepower Therapeutic Riding program, where Stacey serves on the board.

Life outside of work is intentionally simple. Holidays are always spent together, with family at the center of every celebration. Whether they're exploring local bike trails, stopping for lunch or coffee along the way, or enjoying a meal at one of their favorite neighborhood spots, they treasure the everyday moments that bring everyone together. 

For Stacey and Pratip, it's these shared experiences that have made Thornwood feel not just like a neighborhood, but truly like home.