Advocate Spotlight: Ethan Schilling A childhood cancer survivor himself, Ethan Schilling’s work as a psychologist is motivated by his commitment to meeting the psychological needs of children, adolescents, and families whose lives have been impacted by cancer and other chronic health conditions. Ethan’s personal experience with cancer started when his ...

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 ...

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 ...

Advocate Spotlight: Yvonne McLean Florence Before her cancer diagnosis, Yvonne McLean Florence had a full life. She worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, spent lots of time nurturing her family, enjoying her roles as wife, mother, grandmother, and ordained minister, while finding time ...

Advocate Spotlight: Katherine Li, Ryan Hannon, and Noah Davis Katherine Li, Ryan Hannon, and Noah Davis aren’t your average medical students. While they come to the profession like so many others, with a genuine desire to provide quality medical care to their future patients; these young professionals already know they ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Advocate Spotlight: Brett Wilson Brett Wilson's cancer experience started when she was just two years old. Her mother was concerned because she was sleeping a lot, so she took her to the doctor. Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), her family was told she had little chance of survival. Her ...

Woodrow “Woody” Brokenburr was diagnosed with cancer when he was 9 years old, after a biopsy revealed that the lump on his left thigh was osteosarcoma. In the 1960s, pediatric cancer care was challenging, even more so for Black children living in the racially segregated south, as access to quality ...