The first time we visited Chao Cancer Center and were hit with the reality of my mom’s diagnosis, I could barely keep it together. I was trying so hard to be strong for my mom and my mom trying to be strong for us, but once the doctor said cancer, I fell apart. Elana was so extremely supportive and told me she would be like my older sister in navigating everything because I mentioned how terrified I was.

Since then, Elana has never failed to make my mom feel seen, heard, and valued. She’s never not known how to answer one of the millions of questions I had even if the answer was that she’d work on finding me an answer, she always delivered.

My mom has since finished chemo and there’s no doubt we would not have survived without Elana. Her cheerful attitude and kind smile always made those scary doctor’s visits better. She made her best efforts to always accommodate my mom in Spanish and that is so appreciated. I so hope Elana wins this award because I could go on forever about how much of a bright light she’s been throughout my mom’s journey. Her kindness and compassion have gone above and beyond all expectations. Thank you, Elana!