Constellation Award for Childhood Cancer

Every day in hospitals and clinics across the country, healthcare professionals work tirelessly to help families face the scariest and most stressful moments of their child’s brain tumor journey – offering comfort, compassion, and support in ways both big and small.

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Constellation Award for Childhood Cancer provides families the opportunity to express their gratitude for hospital care team members’ exemplary dedication and kindness and shine a spotlight on the extraordinary individuals who have gone above and beyond in helping their family.

Nominate a Hospital Care Team Member

Any parent, caregiver, pediatric brain tumor patient, survivor, or patient sibling can use the form below to nominate a care team member for the Constellation Award for Childhood Cancer. Nominations are accepted on an open, rolling basis and are reviewed multiple times per year with three awardees named from each round. A volunteer team of patient families and healthcare partners from the pediatric brain tumor community review all nominations with identifying information removed to determine each round of awardees.

Nomination guidelines:

• Nominations from children under the age of 18 must be submitted on their behalf by a parent/legal guardian.
• Families may submit no more than one entry per quarter.
• Nominees may be for any member of the care team: administrative, medical professional, psycho-social care team, or other important member of the team.  No volunteers.
• Nominees may only win once a year.

Constellation Award for Childhood Cancer Honorees

Congratulations to these exceptional honorees who were selected by the Constellation Award review committee after a thorough and thoughtful review of families’ nominations. Each honoree has received a commemorative award designed to reflect the constellation of support they provide families, guiding them on their brain tumor journeys.

“More than anyone, Bekah has been present during our journey. She was a constant during a massive time of chaos for our family, always bringing crafts, iPads for distraction, holding hands during anaphylaxis, and crying with us in our times of fear or celebration. Bekah was so much more than a Child Life Specialist. She became family. Because of Bekah, our daughter Cassidy realized the impact of giving during chemo. She began raising money for other kids and would come to Cincinnati Children’s for every chemo with bags of crafts, stuffed animals, and other gifts to give other kids with cancer. It gave my daughter something to look forward to, rather than feeling anxious before every infusion. So many people on her team deserve this award – but in my eyes, Bekah probably most of all.”

– Patient mom’s nomination of Rebekah Doshi, CCLS

“Kara is an unsung hero in the neuro-oncology department. She was a quiet warrior for our daughter Kelsie throughout her battle with glioblastoma. She was relentless in her fight for helping Kelsie survive. Kara was our anchor in the storm of cancer. She was calm and steady. Those attributes always gave us reassurance and peace.  She is a person of great integrity. She is reliable, steadfast, and sure. She is unwavering in her devotion and commitment to the patients she serves.”

– Patient mom’s nomination of Kara Kachurak, NP

“Consistently, Dr. Severance has been kind and patient with us. He has gone above and beyond in offering advice and perspective, no matter how long it takes, and discusses the latest research with us to help us make informed decisions.  Our son struggled with the treatment protocol, and Dr. Severance provided very careful and thoughtful perspectives, coupled with knowledge of the academic work and lots of patience, to help us make informed decisions. Most importantly, he sees our son as a person! He delights in seeing all of his improvements, checks in on us constantly, and brought in a dog to help elicit a response.”

– Patient dad’s nomination of Dr. Tyler Severance

To learn more about the resources the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation offers patient families and the care teams who serve them, visit our Support for Families resource center or email [email protected].