Registered Charity Number: 846324168RR0001
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Emily Hammond
Chair
Also: Courage Capes Niagara Chapter coordinator and OPACC Hamilton and OPACC Niagara group facilitator
Emily Hammond is a proud Cancer Mama of Griffin, a survivor of Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma. Griffin was diagnosed in 2011 at the age of 22 months old. Since then, Emily has been dedicated to supporting the childhood cancer community through various charitable activities. As well as founding, she facilitates the Parents of Children with Cancer Support group in Niagara and the ever popular Courage Capes Project with The Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton. Emily feels that supporting childhood cancer families throughout their fight is important including after treatment, as there is often a lag in care and support as families transition from active treatment to aftercare. Remember, you are not alone!
Lynn Middleton
Director
Anna Lopes
Director
Also: Million Dollar Smiles program founder
I officially joined OPACC in November of 2024, but I’ve been involved in making capes for the Courage Capes Project with The Ronald McDonald House of South-Central Ontario since the beginning of the project. This is a great passion of mine. I am originally from Northern Ontario but have lived in the Niagara Region since January of 2000. I have two boys, aged 17 and 22 (as of 2024). I became a widow in May 2009 but got remarried in April 2024. I have many years of experience working in both accounting and serving and working within the charitable sector as supervisor, team member, Treasurer and Board member. Although my boys did not have cancer, I understand the challenges of the healthcare system as both my boys have a medical condition requiring meds for the rest of their lives and regular visits to McMaster. Both my late husband and mother battled cancer and passed away from it. I love helping others. For me, that could mean listening or helping with a task, but can also mean presenting numbers in a way that everyone understands the impact of what is presented to them.
Anna Lopes is a full-time property/warehouse Manager for a large printing company in Markham for over 25 years. She is a very compassionate and caring person who is full of life and love. Her greatest passion in life is to make a difference and to touch the hearts of all children that need a simple hug. She is also very creative in event planning and making magical moments happen. She is the founder of OPACC's "Million Dollar Smiles…Giving back to Society" program, which she has been running for over 7 years by volunteering most of her spare time. She has brought many smiles and hugs to children dealing with life-threatening illnesses. She and her volunteers, whom she call her "Angels," have delivered over 200 full-size teddy bears to children that needed a hug at Christmas time.The charity also builds playgrounds for the children in their very own backyard. Her mission in life is to create a world of giving and contributing to our community.
Michaela McLean
Director
Lisa Skinner
Director
Also: OPACC Kitchener-Waterloo group co-facilitator and OPACC Parent Liaison at Grand River Hospital (Kitchener)
Originally from Northern Ontario, Michaela McLean joins the OPACC Board on her recent return to Canada after living in Scotland for many years. Michaela has a background in holistic end-of-life care and bereavement support and is an experienced cancer care and palliative care volunteer. She has a passion for fostering community conversation, connection and action around supportive care for individuals and their families living with illness as well as for communal support in grief and bereavement. Michaela holds professional certification (CT) and membership to the Association for Death Education and Counselling (ADEC) and is also a qualified reflexologist. With more than 15 years experience in her former professional career and through her community involvement, Michaela brings experience and expertise in implementation of strategic plans, program management, event organization, community outreach and stakeholder engagement. Michaela looks forward to serving on the Board and in helping to make a difference for Ontario families through the good work of OPACC.
Helen Robertson
Director
Also: OPACC Kitchener-Waterloo group co-faciliator
Helen became involved in the childhood cancer world when her son, Liam, was just a baby and was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. She knew that children got cancer but could have never imagined what a crazy world it is and how many children and families are affected. When Liam was on treatment, Helen often felt alone in her hometown of Waterloo and wanted to connect to other parents who were in a similar situation. When Liam was finished treatment, Helen started a parent support group in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Once she started the group, she became aware of OPACC and loved what they stood for and how they helped the whole family. Helen is now a teacher, parent to two wonderful children and supporter of anything that helps families who are faced with cancer.
Lisa Skinner joined OPACC in September 2007 when her son, Cole, was in treatment for very high risk A.L.L. He is now a "survivor". She and Cole, along with partner Pierre and daughter Sarah, have enjoyed participating in Camp Trillium over the past five years. Lisa knows first-hand how important it is for parents to support each other during and after a child's cancer diagnosis. Also in 2007, she and Helen Robertson started a support group for parents in the Kitchener Waterloo area. The K-W parent support group meets monthly every second Tuesday at HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. She has attended both the fall and spring POGO conferences on behalf of OPACC and plans to continue her involvement in the years to come.
Patti Bauer
Director
Patti Bauer is the bereaved mother of Miranda. Miranda was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma at 16. She fought for 19 months but unfortunately lost her battle at the age of 17. Patti now heads a not-for-profit called "Miranda’s Miracles Fund" and raises funds for childhood cancer research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Miranda was the recipient of the Spirit Award in 2012 for a fundraiser she ran for research funds the same night Nik Wallenda walked the Falls. She raised $10,260.38 herself. It was awarded posthumously to her. For the last 5 years, Patti has been raising Childhood Cancer Awareness flags in 13 municipalities in the Niagara Region and Burlington and has honoured those who have survived, are fighting or have been lost to cancer with their names on yellow/gold ribbons at each flag raising site. Patti is active on social media supporting families. Patti and her family host HUGE fundraisers annually in memory of Miranda. Through these fundraisers, over $200,000 for research has been raised and sent to REMEMBER MIRANDA T8294. There is a plaque in the Donor Hall at Sick Kids commemorating REMEMBER MIRANDA T8294. Patti’s goal is to make sure that Miranda will be known to the world through Patti and family and friends. Feel free to check out the website that was built to honour Miranda to learn more about Miranda and why her family continues what she herself started.
Stathi Afendoulis
Honorary Director
Claudia Kugelmass
Director
Also: Comfy Cases program coordinator
Stathi Afendoulis, MA, is the founding Executive Director of Lainie's Angels, a foundation that provides peer mentoring support to families of children with cancer and blood disorders. Established in memory of his daughter, Lainie, the foundation provides assistance through parent advocate programs in hospitals and online. Over the last twelve years, Stathi has directed the expansion of Lainie's Angels' mission of parent advocacy through education, outreach and fundraising. Currently, the foundation oversees four programs at children's hospitals in the United States and Canada, and is organizing volunteer training with the far-reaching vision of making family care programs the norm at every hospital and organization providing medical care to children with serious disease.
Stathi is an educator and entrepreneur, with degrees in English and Theater and Performing Arts. He has worked professionally as a theater director and administrator; a professor of English, Theater and Communications; and a successful business owner in the retail clothing industry. He is the co-author of "The Grieving Garden: Living with the Death of a Child" (Hampton Roads Publishing Company), and the author of many essays and blogs dealing with the effects of pediatric cancer and blood disorders on children and families.
Formerly a Human Resources Manager in the social services sector, Claudia decided to combine her passion for wanting all children to smile and her enjoyment of sewing by gathering together Volunteers to sew fun, colourful pillowcases for kids in hospitals in Ontario due to cancer and other life challenging illnesses. Comfy Cases was launched in September 2020 as a proud Program of OPACC. Claudia is the Program Coordinator and has successfully expanded the Program, spreading the word that Comfy Cases Volunteers sew smiles, and they do.
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STAFF
Susan is the married mother of two beautiful daughters. In 1995, her younger daughter was diagnosed with a renal cell carcinoma, and so, she entered the world of pediatric oncology on a personal level. Today, her daughter is a healthy long-term survivor. Both of Susan's daughters are now married and she has three sweet little grandsons.
With her background in healthcare, Susan was asked by SickKids to develop the role of Parent Liaison in 1996. She is active in the childhood cancer community, working together with OPACC since 1996. As well, she has worked and continues to work with OPACC's partners including, but not only, POGO as a past Board member, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Parent Cluster Co-Chair, Childhood Cancer Foundation Candlelighters Canada, SickKids, Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, and Lainie's Angels.
Susan works to educate, advocate, support and enable families along their childhood cancer journey by working directly with families and caregivers on a regular basis. In particular, Susan wants to thank OPACC for working to make her role a reality as well as the many families whom she is privileged to work with.
Michelle was introduced to OPACC when her youngest daughter of three girls, Samantha, was diagnosed with a rare germ cell tumor back in July 2014 at the mere age of 13 months old. Michelle became a full-time, stay-at-home mom to continue to care for Samantha during her treatment, but also her two other daughters as well. After walking in the cancer shoes, and seeing just how much an entire family is affected by this disease, Michelle knew that being involved with childhood cancer is where she wanted to be.
Michelle joined OPACC in 2017 as one of their parent volunteers, lending her support to their in-hospital drop ins and participating in many of the wonderful events that OPACC holds for all its amazing families. Now, as one of OPACC's Parent Liaisons, Michelle continues to be highly involved in the cancer community and giving back. Her family is also an Ambassador family with the Hospital for Sick Children and they work very closely with the Foundation to lend their time and support to advocate for children and especially children/parents affected by cancer.
She plans to continue her involvement with OPACC and childhood cancer as an OPACC Parent Liaison and as a parent voice for all families within the childhood cancer community.
Michelle and her family feel absolutely blessed to have all three of their girls happy, healthy and together. Today, they are most grateful that Samantha continues to remain "cancer free"!
Karen is a married mother of two wonderful children. Prior to staying at home to raise her children, Karen worked as a Clinical Social Worker in the United States and Canada. She brings a wealth of experience in working with children and families in both mental health and hospital settings.
Karen was first introduced to OPACC in 2014 after her son was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Leukemia. During the in-patient phase of treatment, Karen met with the OPACC Parent Liaison and attended some weekly drop-in sessions for support and to learn about available resources. Although Karen and her husband have a vast network of support through family and friends, Karen notes that the support provided by OPACC and by another mother affected by Childhood Cancer was by far the most compelling. Karen’s son is now six years post-treatment and is a thriving teenager.
Karen joined OPACC as a Parent Liaison in 2017. She feels extremely fortunate to be able to draw on her training and personal experiences to help other parents and caregivers navigate the challenges of diagnosis and treatment. Karen is also bilingual in English/Spanish, a skill that has enriched her ability to support many of our OPACC families.
Sarai joined the OPACC team in 2011. Her current role within OPACC as Administrator involves managing all aspects of the day to day running of the organization, helping with event planning, serving as the main point of contact for other organizations and the general public, writing, managing the website, social media pages, and emails, and developing communications materials via print and electronic media, among other responsibilities. She is fully bilingual in English and Spanish, having been raised near Miami, Florida before moving to Canada in 2000. Sarai graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Buffalo and holds an Honours B.A. in History. She resides in Barrie with her husband and daughter.