Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorraine Tallman.
Lorraine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My daughter, Amanda, fought cancer twice. Throughout it, her spirits never waned. She kept smiling and expressing her concern and caring for the other children in the hospital. She dreamed of a special shirt, our Comfycozy for Chemo, to provide dignity and comfort to children during chemo treatments. She made me promise to make sure every child who needed a “Comfycozy for Chemo” received one and today 9,000 children worldwide have been touched by Amanda’s dream.
People talk about finding a purpose, Amanda Hope is mine. In 2012, I started Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels to honor Amanda’s vision of caring for children battling cancer starting with something as simple as an adaptive shirt.
Building and leading a team during a time of exponential growth is challenging. Identifying and addressing the here and now needs of the patients and families, encouraging support and involvement from the community, working with healthcare professionals and constantly advocating on behalf of patients and families is my world.
Has it been a smooth road?
People don’t know the facts of childhood cancer because as a country we do not keep accurate data. We are constantly trying to educate others about the real numbers of pediatric cancer, the costs, and the long term effects. Cancer is the number one killer of children in American and yet only 3.8% of research dollars are dedicated to finding a cure. I see everything as a challenge, not a struggle. I learn from every encounter and am eager to tackle the next challenge.
Tell us more about your organization.
My business is the nonprofit organization, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels. We are dedicated to bringing dignity and comfort into the harsh world of childhood cancer.
We address the here and now needs of childhood cancer patients, their siblings and parents. We provide patients with Comfycozy Care Packs, fun Major Distractions in the hospital to bring smiles to a distressing situation, Behavioral Health counseling for patients and the whole family, Financial Assistance for gas/transportation, groceries and utilities, in-hospital lunches,dinners and snacks, educational and support sessions to help them navigate this confusing time, orientations for healthcare providers and childhood cancer advocacy on a local and national level.
All of our fabulous donors, supporters and volunteers are a part of our Team and come alongside us to make it possible to provide all of our services at no cost to the families.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The nonprofit industry as a whole is growing due to the increasing needs of our population that is not being met. We are seeing an increase in the number of people of all ages who are looking for ways to make a difference in the world and the nonprofit sector is the place where they come to get engaged. For myself, I will continue to be an active part of the childhood cancer world until, as a world, we wake up and find a cure for pediatric cancer.
Contact Info:
- Address: 340 E. Coronado Rd Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85004 - Website: amandahope.org
- Phone: 602-775-5090
- Email: lorraine@amandahope.org
- Instagram: @AHRANGELS
- Facebook: @AHRANGELS
- Twitter: @AHRANGELS
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/amanda-hope-rainbow-angels-phoenix?osq=community%20service&dsid=ad8af
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