2021 Awardee
Jeanne Foti-Cordes Honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
This year, SHiNE is honored to award Jeanne Foti-Cordes with this award. Jeanne was an involved community member and activist. She volunteered with the Llanerch Hills Little League and was a board member of many charitable organizations. And she was an active board member of SHiNE, St. Veronicass Independent Mission School in Philadelphia, O'Hara Alumni and Aronomink Swim Club.
Jeanne always had that "What can I do to help?" spirit and a get-it-done attitude. She was often heard saying, "I got this"...and she always did. Beyond generous with her time and talent, Jeanne had palpable energy and light that always surrounded her. Jeanne, a true SHiNE sister, continues to be an inspiration for all who knew her.
2019 Awardee
Laura Hissey Honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
This year, SHiNE is proud to honor Laurie Hissey with this award. Laurie’s guiding force has always been what she can do for others. Laurie moved to Chester County as a newlywed in 1982 and is an active member in the community. Now married for 37 years, Laurie enjoys spending time with her four sons and eight grandchildren, and playing competitive paddle tennis. Laurie first took up paddle tennis as a way to meet amazing people and share time together in a competitive environment. Now, cancer is her new opponent; cancer is her new competition.
As a professional paddle tennis player, and staple of the paddle tennis community, Laurie has been a loyal supporter of SHiNE’s mission. Laurie serves as the Director of Radley Run Country Club, and each November she holds a paddle tennis tournament there to benefit SHiNE and patients living with cancer in our community. Laurie has raised almost $50,000 since 2016 to provide patients with rides to and from treatment, massage therapy, acupuncture and emotional support.
2018 Awardee
Dr. Dennis Berman Honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
Dr. Dennis Berman has been a member of Chester County Hospital’s medical staff since 1982. He received his medical degree and completed an internship and residency at Temple University, having served as Chief Resident from 1980-1981. He completed a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Oncology. Dr. Berman served as Medical Director for the Abramson Cancer Center at Chester County Hospital and the Chairman of the Chester County Hospital Committee until 2017. He was the founding member of The Penn Hematology/Oncology Practic and has been instrumental in bringing state-of-the-art care to Chester County. He was the recipient of the Russell R. Tyson Professional Achievement Award in 2003 and has been recognized as a “Top Doc” by Main Line Today magazine..
2016 Awardee
acac Fitness & Wellness Centers Honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
This year, we honor acac Fitness & Wellness for their continued generosity to SHiNE as well as our local community. acac’s core value is to dedicate time, energy and resources to make a difference in the lives of others. SHiNE has been the recipient of this value through acac’s generous donations from community fundraisers as well as with a fitness program tailored to our patients to regain strength after cancer treatment. Thank you, acac, for helping us to live our best.
2015 Awardee
CCH Nurse Navigators honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
In 2008, SHiNE provided funding to hire the first cancer care coordinator at The Abramson Cancer Center of The Chester County Hospital. Since then, the hospital has expanded this position to include eight oncology nurse navigators and care coordinators. We are proud to honor this great group of women. From diagnosis to completion of treatment and then survivorship, they are there for our patients day and night for whatever situation may arise. They help navigate through the physical, emotional and even financial trials of the cancer journey. We appreciate the courage, hope and strength these women provide daily to so many in our community. From a recent patient testimonial: "My navigator was a crucial link not only to the steps and timeline of my treatment, but also my mental adjustment. I might well have simply given up without her."
Honoring:
- Cindy Brown, BSN, RN, CBPN-IC, Breast Cancer Navigator
- Sandy Camarota, BSN, RN, OCN, Survivorship Navigator
- Jennifer Cox, BSN, RN, Gynecologic Oncology Navigator
- Meghan Reilly, BSN, RN, Thoracic, GI, Head & Neck Oncology Navigator
- Mary Pat Rush, Lay Breast Cancer Navigator
Thank you for all that you do every day to help our local friends and neighbors confront the challenges of cancer with dignity.
2014 Awardee
Maria McCool Honored with the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. SHiNING Star Award
Each year at the SHiNE Gala, we honor a community member who has made a significant impact in our community for patients living with cancer. SHiNE would not be possible without the generosity, loyalty, determination, optimism and respect for life modeled by Donald F. Parsons, Sr. and carried on through three generations of the Parsons family. In his honor, we present the award this year to Maria McCool.
Maria McCool was a founding member and constant supporter of SHiNE. She has developed our Additions Program to provided patients with a day of beauty and wig fitted and styled to make each patient feel and look like themselves again. We are proud to recognize Maria for her kindness, creativity and generosity and for the impact she has on cancer care in our community on a daily basis.
2013 Awardee
First Annual Donald F. Parsons, Sr. Shining Star Award
In 2013, SHiNE was able to give 551 patients living with cancer an advantage in their battle by providing critical patient services - Patient Organizer, Care Coordinator, Prescription Assistance, Physical Therapy, Transportation, Nutrition, Support Groups, Living with Cancer Fund (Utilities and Rent) and Massage Therapy.
Additionally, we launched two new support programs - Fitness Programs to help patients rebuild strength and our Wig Program so patients can look and feel like themselves. We now proudly offer the most comprehensive portfolio of patient services for people living with cancer in the Philadelphia area. It's an amazing accomplishment that has been years in the making.
Throughout all of those years, the support from Communications Test Design, Inc. and the Parsons Family has been constant. In the beginning they believed in the concept of helping the patient confront their challenges with dignity, determination and hope. And, over the years, their support helped us grow and find ways to improve the patient's experience and patients' outcomes in concrete measurable ways.
Each year at the SHiNE gala, we honor a community member who has made a significant impact in our community for patients living with cancer. SHiNE would not be possible without the generosity, loyalty, determination, optimism and respect for life modeled by Donald F. Parsons, Sr. and carried on through three generations of the Parsons family. In his honor, we are renaming the award the Donald F. Parsons, Sr. Shining Star Award. It is only fitting that the first award in his name goes to his greatest legacy - his family.