Dr. Willingham grew up on a dairy farm in the North East Texas town of Sulphur Springs, where she was exposed to veterinary medicine at an early age. Both of her parents and her younger sister have been in the veterinary profession. She also has a sister that is involved in canine genetics research. Through vet school, she had the opportunity to do a summer rotation in Ghana, West Africa, setting up an animal welfare society and was able to complete her externship at a veterinary practice in Orbost, Australia. After graduating from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, she worked several years in a mixed animal practice north of Denton taking care of both large and small animals followed by a small animal practice in Little Elm. She and her husband, Joe, now live in Prosper with their three young boys. Dr. Willingham's veterinary interests include internal medicine, soft-tissue surgery, and endocrinology. She is also passionate about the importance of preventative medicine, feline medicine, and senior pet health [citation].