
NCCS to Recognize Susan Leigh, BSN, RN and Desirée Walker with 2025 Ellen L. Stovall Award
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care: Susan Leigh, BSN, RN-Retired – Health Care Professional Award Desirée A.H. Walker – Patient Advocate Award The Ellen L. Stovall Award, named in honor ...

Breaking Down Barriers: Marielle McLeod’s Commitment to Elevating Voices in Cancer Care
Advocate Spotlight: Marielle McLeod Marielle McLeod’s experience with health care began long before she ever faced her own cancer diagnosis. Raised in the Dominican Republic, Marielle was deeply influenced by her grandmother, who worked in a local hospital pharmacy. "She would take me around and walk me through all the ...

From Empathy to Action: Andrea Anampa-Guzmán’s Commitment to Survivorship Through Care and Advocacy
Advocate Spotlight: Dr. Andrea Anampa-Guzmán Dr. Andrea Anampa-Guzmán’s experience in health care began in Lima, Peru, where she was born and pursued her medical degree at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Driven by a deep-rooted passion for helping others and making a tangible impact on people's lives, Andrea ...

Patients First: Samantha & Samuel Siegel’s Marriage of Medicine and Advocacy
Advocate Spotlight: Drs. Samantha and Samuel Siegel Samantha and Samuel Siegel started medical school together at Jefferson Medical College in 2008, the only married couple in their cohort. While Samuel had been managing chronic health conditions since his early 20s, including inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune liver disease, their third ...

Finding Hope in Adversity: Alyssa Fischer-Reeder’s Path to Survivorship
In 2003, Alyssa Fischer-Reeder graduated from American University in Washington, DC, with a BA in Education and Communication and decided to enroll in a Master’s program before becoming ill. At first, she noticed that the back of her tongue was a bit sore but soon realized that she could feel ...

Arti Varanasi – Transforming Research and Caregiving into Advocacy
Advocate Spotlight: Arti Varanasi, PhD Arti Varanasi, PhD, MPH, CPH is the Founder, President and CEO of Advancing Synergy, a social enterprise focused on advancing health equity and health justice through innovations that engage individuals and impact communities. Driven by curiosity and purpose, she is most passionate about building community ...

The Advocate Within: Tamron Little’s Remarkable Journey of Turning Trauma into Triumph
Advocate Spotlight: Tamron Little Tamron Little was a 21-year-old college student and pregnant with her first child when she was misdiagnosed with a fibroid tumor. She’d been experiencing abdominal pain, anemia, and constipation, all symptoms that could easily be attributed to her pregnancy. After giving birth to her son, and ...

The Not-So-Good Cancer: Mary Glen’s Inspiring Advocacy Journey
Advocate Spotlight: Mary Glen Mary Glen was serving as an active-duty Army officer, deployed to South Korea in August 2020. Just 24 years old, Mary recalls feeling fatigued, experiencing bouts of depression, hair loss, and brittle nails, but her symptoms were initially attributed to the stress of deployment. “In the ...

NCCS Presents 8th Annual Ellen L. Stovall Awards to Phuong Gallagher and Mary McCabe, RN for Their Innovation and Dedication to Cancer Survivors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30, 2023 Washington, D.C. – The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) presented the 8th annual Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care to Mary McCabe, RN, MA and Phuong Gallagher on October 26, 2023. Named for former NCCS CEO, Ellen Stovall, who ...

The Path to Purpose: Marlena Murphy Finds Meaning in the Challenges
Advocate Spotlight: Marlena Murphy Marlena Murphy’s cancer journey began when she discovered a lump in her left breast during her monthly self-check in May 2018. It was a moment that would change her life forever. Marlena contacted her primary care physician and was immediately scheduled for a diagnostic mammogram. Ultrasound ...