Rady Children’s Health is celebrating nurses this week, May 4-8, with events including swag handouts, recognition awards, and prize raffles.

National Nurses Week runs May 6-12.

It’s time to shine the spotlight on these superheroes in scrubs.

At Rady Children’s in Orange, 67 nurses work for inpatient hematology/oncology. Five of these nurses share the experience of having been former cancer patients here themselves – three as young children, the others as teens.

Another former oncology nurse, Kim Sladek, transferred to the multispecialty unit in 2019. She is a survivor of acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, diagnosed when she was 17 years old.

Together, these five nurses bring to the oncology unit a perspective that is truly extraordinary — one that cannot be taught in a classroom or orientation program, says Casey Koerner, inpatient nurse manager, hematology-oncology.

A couple of years ago, the unit put up a permanent display of photos of all six nurses and brief stories about them.

“(These nurses) once stood where our patients stand now, facing treatments, fear, uncertainty, and the challenge of simply being a kid in a hospital setting,” Casey says. “Because of that, they understand in a profound way what our patients and families are experiencing.”

The nurses and cancer survivors often connect through the moments that matter most, Casey explains: easing fears before procedures, recognizing bravery behind tears, celebrating milestones, and offering hope that life can extend far beyond a diagnosis.

“Their presence is a powerful reminder to children and families that healing, growth, and a future are possible,” Casey says. “These nurses embody resilience, empathy, and purpose. Choosing to come back to the very place where they once received care and now provide it is an incredible act of strength. They’ve turned their own journey into compassion for others and remind all of us why this work matters so deeply.

“We are stronger because of them, and grateful to work beside them.”

Here’s a closer look at these five oncology nurses and cancer survivors:

Lindsay Simao

BSN, RN, CPHON (Certified Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nurse)

Diagnosis at age 3: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a fast-growing blood cancer of the bone marrow. ALL is the most common pediatric cancer.

“The nurses were like family to us,” Lindsay recalls. “They made what was such a difficult time for my family so much easier and brought so much joy and fun to our hospital stays.”

Lindsay knew she wanted to become a nurse after surviving childhood cancer.

“It was always my dream to one day be able to give back and work at CHOC,” she says. “Now, I not only have the privilege of working here, but I also get to work alongside some of the nurses who took care of me during my treatment.”

One of Lindsay’s favorite memories was when her nurses let her go room to room with them and assess patients and pretend to chart with them.

“I used to ride the wagons down the halls in the basement that leads to St. Joseph Hospital.”

Lindsay grew up in Yorba Linda and graduated from nursing school in 2012. 

Being a cancer survivor, she says, “deepens the qualities that I possess as a nurse. I strive to always give my patients the respect, empathy, and compassion that I would have wanted for myself and my family. I do understand what most of these kids are going through, and now as a parent, I understand a lot more of what my parents went through as well.”

Lindsay notes that the health journeys of cancer survivors do not just entail what patients went through during cancer treatment.

“It’s everything after that, too,” she says. “It’s monthly, then yearly doctor visits. Scans, labs, and follow- ups for every harmful medication you’ve ever received. Anxiety over the long-term side effects to come. We are all still in our health journey, and I believe that knowing what it’s like during and after treatment sometimes helps me advocate and speak up for patients and families during challenging times. Sometimes it’s hard to think of how something might affect you in years to come, when you are just trying to get through the day.”

Devon Oddy

BSN, RN

Diagnosis at age 6: B-cell ALL, a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which immature B-lymphocytes (lymphoblasts) outnumber healthy cells.

Devon says she always had a special place in her heart for the oncology unit and admired those who were once her nurses. They inspired her to become one herself.

“I wanted to collaborate closely with patients,” Devon explains, “and I love how close we grow to our families.”

She loved it when therapy dogs visited her during treatment.

Devon also remembers how special the nurses and staff made her feel when she spent her 7^th birthday at CHOC.

A native of Huntington Beach, Devon began her nursing career at CHOC in 2019.

“Going through cancer myself gave me a level of empathy and understanding that I don’t think can be taught as well as witnessing the emotional toll it takes on parents and family units,” she says. “I know what it feels like to sit on the other side – to feel scared, overwhelmed, and unsure of what’s to come next.”

Because of this, Devon says she’s very intentional about how she shows up for her patients and their families.

“I aim to offer comfort to everyone and provide family centered support and care,” she says. “I try to create a sense of comfort, trust, and normalcy through a very challenging time.”

Life after cancer, Devon says, truly puts things into perspective.

“Working here at times has almost shed a bit of survivor’s guilt – and that can be challenging,” she says. “But living my life as if I am on borrowed time has pushed me to live a full life, to set more goals, and to say yes to opportunity. Our patients and their families are always excited and inspired by the nurses here and invest in what we do and how we conduct our lives outside of these walls, and I believe that gives them hope and comfort for the future as well.”

Angeliki Pelehrinis

BSN, RN

Diagnosis at age 19: Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system

Angeliki was a third-year student at UC Santa Barbara, a biology major with plans to become an optometrist, when cancer stopped her in her tracks.

The Tustin native and Beckman High School graduate returned to her childhood home to begin treatment.

Angeliki left college for about a year and during treatment realized she wanted to become a nurse. She worked for two years as a medical scribe in an emergency department before attending nursing school.

“I realized how impactful nursing could be,” says Angeliki, who started at Rady Children’s in August 2023.

“It’s challenging, but I love it,” she adds. “Being a cancer survivor has helped guide me a lot. Sometimes it’s the smaller, more subtle things, like closing doors quietly or offering choices throughout the day. And sometimes it’s the bigger things like sitting with patients and families after a new diagnosis.”

Typically, Angeliki doesn’t tell patients she had cancer unless she feels her story would be helpful.

“I’ve been told that my story gives them hope,” she says.

Angeliki remembers how special she was treated as a patient.

“While I loved my entire care team,” she says, “it was my bedside nurses who were present for the day-to-day highs and lows – from anaphylaxis (a potentially life-threatening systemic allergic reaction), to late-night chats, to singing ‘Happy Last Chemo.’

“My nurses brought light into a dark time, and ever since I realized I wanted to be that person for someone else.”

Brendan McGeown

BSN, RN

Diagnosis at age 14, relapse at age 17: High-risk B-cell ALL, a severe type of blood cancer, and central nervous system relapse

Brendan is a happily married father. His son, Brooks, is 4, and daughter Malia is 1 ½.

“I was told I wouldn’t be able to have children naturally due to my treatments, that IVF (in vitro fertilization) was my only option,” he recalls.

Brendan and his wife, Selyna, conceived their children naturally.

“I don’t view having cancer ultimately as a negative experience,” says Brendan, who was in cancer treatment through age 21. “It was part of my journey, and it transformed me into who I am today.”

Of course, it was difficult for Brendan to leave high school halfway through his first year when he was diagnosed. At the time, he was playing hockey and particularly enjoying his science classes.

While attending Cal State Fullerton, Brendan began volunteering at what was then CHOC. He transferred from CSF to nursing school and today loves being a bedside nurse. Some of the Rady Children’s nurses who trained him treated him when he was a teen and young adult.

“I love that my nurses incorporated me into my care plan,” Brendan says. “I developed an interest in the reasoning behind my treatments and always wanted to take an active role in the decisions being made. I also formed meaningful relationships with my medical team that impacted how I viewed treatment.”

He says he wants to be able to make the same difference in other patient’s cancer journeys that CHOC made in his.

Shaina Neiman

MSN, RN, and CPHON (Certified Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nurse)

Diagnosis at age 6: Stage 3 high-risk neuroblastoma – an advanced tumor that originates in immature nerve cells.

As a childhood cancer patient, Shaina named her IV pole Sally and pretended to feed it Cheerios. She was too nauseous to eat herself.

Sally was her imaginary friend. Shaina missed all of her real friends at school.

At 6, cancer became her world. And her nurses became family.

“I remember them taking the time to get to know me and my parents,” Shaina recalls. “They played with me and we had screaming contests when I got upset.”

Today, patients and families sometimes tell Shaina she has a unique touch as a pediatric oncology nurse.

“I think it’s the empathy side of it,” says Shaina, who after serving as a bedside nurse for seven years earned her master’s degree and fell in love with education. She now is a patient and family educator, walking them through every step of the treatment process, including home-care education.

“Nurses are making a difference,” Shaina says. “Every day they’re influencing families even if they only see them for one day. This is a parent’s worst nightmare, and nurses play a huge role in making the health journeys of these patients go as smoothly as possible.”

Shaina notes that every cancer patient’s journey is different.

“Yes, we have sad moments, but there are so many happy times even amidst the sad times,” she says. “If I can make a kid laugh for a minute even when they’re in so much pain, then I’m making a difference.”