About the Authors

Nancy Keene
Childhood Leukemia, Childhood Cancer, Childhood Cancer Survivors

Nancy Keene has written or co-authored many books for families of children with cancer, including:

• Childhood Leukemia (currently in its 3rd edition)
• Childhood Cancer (currently in its 2nd edition)
• Childhood Cancer Survivors
• Working with Your Doctor
• Your Child in the Hospital (currently available in its 2nd edition and in Spanish)
• Chemo, Craziness, and Comfort: Your Book about Childhood Cancer

Nancy edited two additional books about childhood cancer (and many on other topics):

• Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors
• Educating the Child with Cancer

Nancy is a tireless advocate for children's health issues, including pediatric clinical trials, childhood cancer, late effects of childhood cancer treatments, pediatric pain relief, and emotional support for families. She frequently speaks for professional and parent groups and works with national pediatric advocacy organizations and committees. In addition, she has participated on national online support groups since they began in 1996.

Patsy Cullen
Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors

Patsy Cullen received her BSN in nursing from the University of California, her MS from the University of Kansas, and her pediatric nurse practitioner training from the University of Colorado. She has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in Pediatric Oncology for more than 20 years and is currently a member of the staff of Childhood Hematology-Oncology Associates and the Rocky Mountain Children's Cancer Center in Denver, Colorado. She has published extensively in the areas of general pediatric oncology, radiation oncology and neuro-oncology. She has been a member of the Children's Cancer Group for twenty years, has served on the Nursing Discipline committee as Vice-Chair and now chairs the clinical trials subcommittee. Additionally, Patsy is now a Principal Investigator in the Children's Oncology Group, administratively heading the program at Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center and was recently elected to serve on the group's Nominating Committee. She has held nursing appointments on many national pediatric CNS tumor trials and is currently on the CNS Tumor Steering Committee for the Children's Oncology Group.

Wendy Hobbie
Childhood Cancer Survivors

Wendy Hobbie is one the editors and chapter authors of Survivors of Childhood Cancer: Assessment and Management. She has published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals on topics such as the late effects of treatment of childhood cancer, the role of the nurse practitioner in follow-up care, and risk taking and decision making of survivors of childhood cancer. She is frequently invited to lecture health care professionals, cancer survivors and their families on a variety of cancer survivorship issues. Wendy Hobbie is the Associate Director of the Pediatric Oncology Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Pennsylvania and the Coordinator of the Follow-Up Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. During the past 15 years, Wendy has devoted her professional life to the follow-up and treatment of survivors of childhood cancer and their families. Through education, Wendy has empowered survivors with the knowledge to advocate for themselves in the health care system and society.

Honna Janes-Hodder
Childhood Cancer

Honna Janes-Hodder's youngest son Matthew was diagnosed with neuroblastoma on his third birthday, and passed away at age 7 on September 3, 1997. She loved, cared for, and advocated for Matthew during his long struggle with cancer. Honna is founder of ChildCan, The Childhood Cancer Research Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, Inc., and president of the International Pediatric Cancer Alliance, Inc. For many years, Honna managed most of the pediatric discussion groups for ACOR, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, Inc. ACOR, based in New York, provides accurate and timely medical support and information for all those affected by cancer, in both the pediatric and adult communities. In addition, Honna sits on the Public Issues Committee for the Newfoundland and Labrador division of the Canadian Cancer Society and writes a regular health section for a national newspaper in Canada. Honna and Nancy Keene were two of the first five people appointed as patient advocates to the Children's Cancer Group (CCG), a research organization consisting of pediatric cancer specialists from Canada, the United States, and Australia. For several years they attended CCG meetings and facilitated communication between CCG investigators and the patient community.

Kathy Ruccione
Childhood Cancer Survivors

Kathy Ruccione is the Nursing Administrator in the Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Her particular interests are in three areas: preparing patients and families to be informed participants in their care; the long-term follow-up of childhood cancer survivors; and the epidemiology and genetics of childhood cancer. She has published extensively and is frequently invited to speak on these topics. Kathy's personal experience as a mother of a child with a disability has enriched her perspective and deepened her commitment to finding ways to help children and their families survive and transcend the experience with cancer.

Maria Sansalone
Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors

Maria Sansalone has a Bachelor's in English from American International College, and an Associate's in Science degree. She has worked in the past in hospital settings in the area of health information management, and for the last ten years as a Cross Reference editor for Merriam-Webster, Inc., the dictionary and reference publishers. Her position allows her access to information from almost every field. But, nothing, she says, prepared her for her son's diagnosis of an optic glioma. "It was a completely shocking and shattering experience, and it's taken many years to find a balance. Listening to families relate their own experiences for this book was immensely influential. I think it helped to bring things back full circle."

Tania Shiminski-Maher
Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors

Tania Shiminski-Maher received her BSN and MS in pediatric primary care from Columbia University. She is a certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner, clinical neuroscience registered nurse, and pediatric oncology nurse. She has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in pediatric neurosurgery and pediatric neuro-oncology for the past fifteen years. She has published extensively in the area of pediatric brain tumors, hydrocephalus and multidisciplinary team communication. She has been a member of the nursing committee of the Children's Cancer Group for the past fifteen years and a member of the nursing steering committee for ten years. She holds academic appointments to the faculty of New York University School of Nursing and Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing.