Who We Are
Our Story
“Your child has cancer.”
Nothing can prepare you for these devastating words.
At only 18 months old, my daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of pediatric cancer. For over 3.5 years we traveled across the United States seeking the best care. During that time, Ava endured more toxic treatments than most adult cancer patients. Due to the extreme nature of her treatments, her teeth slowly disintegrated, her hair was gone and eventually her kidneys failed.
In her final days my family and I watched as her fragile body shut down. She looked at me and said, “Mommy I don’t want to feel like this anymore.” Two days later she passed away.
At age 5, cancer took Ava from our family, friends and loved ones.
When I lost Ava, I didn’t give up hope. I knew my story wasn’t unique; all cancer families face the same struggles. That’s what inspires me to create hope by providing direct assistance to local families who have children with cancer.
Navigating the hospitals, lending an ear, providing financial assistance; I will do whatever it takes to support these families. They depend on the support provided by Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children. It is my personal experience and our passion for going the extra mile that I believe truly differentiates Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children from other non-profits.
Thank you for your support,
President and Founder
Meet Our Team
All ACFC staff are HIPPA, CPR and First-Aid Certified and comply with all CDC Guidelines.
Chrisie Funari
President
and Founder
Email Chrisie
Meg Dufour, MA, LPC
Director
Of Events
Email Meg
Cristina Atabala
office
manager
Email Cristina
Stephanie Pham
program
director
Email Stephanie
Geetha Ananthakrishnan, MPH
director of
development
Email Geetha
Andrea Smith
volunteer
coordinator
Email Andrea
Leo
Certified Therapy Dog
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Bilingual Case Coordinator
The Bilingual Case Coordinator oversees the well-being of English & Spanish speaking families served by Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children, to ensure they are supported in accordance to the organization’s services. The Case Coordinator directly works with individuals impacted by pediatric cancer, of all ages, by identifying their need, providing guidance and continuous support within the scope of services extended through the organization.
INTERN OPPORTUNITIES
Development Associate
The Development Associate (DA) is responsible for community development at Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children. The DA will work directly with the Director of Development and the Executive Director an outreach capacity in building meaningful partnerships with the community on behalf of the organization and will assist with grant writing, tracking and management under the supervision of the Director of Development.
Case Manager
The Case Manager (CM) is responsible for managing families at Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children. The CM reports directly to the program director and is responsible for organizing applications, updating families, updating the patient database, and other aspects regarding communications with families as well as scheduling and attending sunshine visits and events with the program director, ACFC staff member or Certified Volunteers.
Leadership
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Justin Dufour
Bill Finch
Chrisie Funari
Benjamin Hayes
Jennifer Mackay
AVA’S TREE HOUSE ADVISORY BOARD
Phil Beasley
Belinda Blumenthal
Vicki Bobrow
Caitlin Bronsky
Bill Floyd
Ginnifer Giallella
Alex Kjellsen
Jim Larson
Matt Londen
Laurie Sandau
Kendall Torrejos
Kelly Vinger
Glenn Zeldin