I have some of the best mom friends around. It is a constantly growing group — some of them I’ve known for 13 years, others I met just last week. But no matter how long we’ve been mom friends, the glue that holds us together is the very thing that constantly threatens to tear us apart:

Childhood cancer. 

My daughter was diagnosed 13 years ago with a brain tumor called ependymoma. Lily was 14 months old. I barely had been a mother and somehow that all seemed in jeopardy. The moms in my playgroup were lovely, but not one of them could understand what was happening. Then I encountered Alex’s mom, Liz Scott. She was speaking about the work of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation at a press conference.

I knew that I had found my tribe. Since that day in June 2007, I’ve met dozens of amazing moms. Moms who have fought day and night for their child’s life. Moms who have worked full-time while managing their child’s therapy and treatment schedule. Moms who have juggled several kids, straddling the line between cancer and “normalcy.” Moms who have had to say goodbye to their children and somehow still keep going afterward. 

These are women who stand united each and every day not just for their children, but for each other’s children. 

I could go on and on, but really, their families say it best. Meet some of these superhero moms who have changed the world and keep working to change it:

Beth Robertson, mom to childhood cancer hero Cameron and SuperSibs Skye and Emma 

“Mom is our hero because she loves us unconditionally and she goes above and beyond to make sure we’re all cared for and happy.” -Cameron, Skye, Emma

Trish Cartafalsa, mom to childhood cancer hero Ryan and SuperSibs Emily and Meghan

“She always finds a way to brighten my day.” -Ryan
“She is my problem solver.” -Meghan
“She is the rock of our family. We can lean on her for everything and anything. She's always there for us with a smile on her face and she pushes us to be the best version of ourselves.” -Emily 

Kaky Mullen, mom to childhood cancer hero Grace and SuperSib Emily

"My mom always finds different ways to show us she is thinking of us, whether it is sending us videos to make us laugh, making our favorite dinner for a special occasion, or going on secret TJ Maxx trips (sorry Dad!). She's always there to brighten up a bad day and has done so much for us while making it all look easy.” -Emily

Miriam Matz, mom to childhood cancer hero Ellie and SuperSibs Rebecca and Lillah

“Miriam is an amazing Mom, doctor, and now, home school teacher for three kids! Watching her take leadership in the cancer parent world has made me so happy and proud.” -Paul Matz, Miriam’s husband

Leslie Markham, mom to childhood cancer hero Lakelynn

“My mommy is a tall and pretty superhero; we have the same hair. She always makes me happy and helps me feel better when I don’t feel good.” -Lakelynn

Keren Fitzgerald, mom to childhood cancer hero Cole and SuperSibs Maeve and Maggie

“While juggling the demands of a career, our family and the ongoing medical concerns of our hero, Keren still makes time to give back to the community. She puts the needs of others before herself. She is an inspiration to our family and many others. Keren is the thread that holds our family together. She was able to maintain her smile, sense of humor and make sure we all felt loved through the worst circumstances a family could imagine.” -Bill Fitzgerald, Keren’s husband 

Mary Hollway, mom to childhood cancer hero Molly Hollway and SuperSibs Mike and Billy

“My mom never gives up, is constantly helping others, and is the strongest person I know!" -Molly

Karen Salerno, mom to childhood cancer hero Tony and SuperSib Samantha

“My mom is my superhero because she helps me whenever she can. She's always making sure we are okay.” -Tony

“My mom is my superhero because she manages to put up with our really loud family. And she is always there for me.” -Samantha

Danielle Gallagher, mom to childhood cancer hero Caroline and SuperSib Charlotte

“Danielle is the best advocate for our daughter’s care. She left the professional world when Caroline was diagnosed and automatically kicked into this vital role while continuing to nurture and lead our family. She is selfless and her abiding passion is the wellbeing of our family.” -Charles Gallagher, Danielle’s husband

Emily Gilger, mom to childhood cancer hero Edie and SuperSib Kinsey

“Our mom is a superhero, because she helped me through cancer and she had it. And then she beat it.” -Edie

Liz Scott, mom to ALSF founder and childhood cancer hero Alex and SuperSibs Patrick, Eddie and Joey

“My Mom had four children: me, my sister Alex, my brothers Eddie and Joey. After Alex lost her battle with cancer, my mom transformed her grief into motivation to make the world a better place. Since then, she and my dad have built one of the largest nonprofits for childhood cancer research. All the while, she has always supported me and my brothers in pushing ourselves to be better, while keeping our feet on the ground. When times are tough, she is always there to support us and talk through our problems with a level head. She always finds time for us, no matter how busy her schedule is. She is a great mom.” -Patrick

“My mom is a superhero for all she does on a daily basis to keep our family running. I could never ask for a better mother. She has seemingly endless energy for her children, even on the hardest of days.” -Eddie

Heather Banaszek, mom to childhood cancer hero C.J. and SuperSib Gabby

“My mom is a superhero because of her resilience and strength. She is my mom, best friend, and role model all in one. She has taken her experience and risen above it, being the best mother to me and wife to my dad. She’s incredible.” -Gabby

Kimberly Vitale, mom to childhood cancer hero Matteo and SuperSibs Christopher, Luca, Frankie and Lucia 

“She is tenacious and admirable. She is the glue that holds us all together. She has the will and persistence to keep searching for answers. To find ways to help the ones she cares about but also anyone who is in need that she may not even know. In a sense, she can be an angel in disguise.” -Alfred Vitale, Kimberly’s husband

Lauren Boerlin, mom to childhood cancer hero Nate and SuperSibs Alaina, Maria and Myles

“Her faith has given us so much purpose and color to our lives.” -Alaina

“My mom is the strongest person I know. First, she birthed and raised three kids at once all while having to still be a teacher full time. When my brother passed away suddenly, we were all heartbroken, but my mom made sure we continued to live our lives. All three of us went to school the next day and persevered. I am thankful for this because it made us stronger and provided us with so much support from others. She always teaches us the value of giving back and helping others. For that, she is so selfless. I am truly blessed to have her as my mother."-Maria

Megan Roberts, mom to childhood cancer hero Declan and SuperSibs Brendan and Tommy

“She helps me when I need help. My favorite thing about her is that she is nice.” -Brendan

“She is my superhero because she makes the best sweet treats and she makes me laugh.” -Tommy

Brenda Brelje, mom to childhood cancer hero Beau and SuperSibs Nicholas, Jessica and Bailey

“Brenda is a problem solver, she makes sure everyone has what they need and holds this family together.” -Dave, Brenda’s husband

 “She helps me when I need it and is there for me if I have a problem.” -Bailey

Dina Dodd, mom to childhood cancer hero Owen and SuperSib Waverly 

“She’s an awesome teacher, and she makes the best smoothies. She is the best mom in the world.” -Owen and Waverly

Amy Mulford, mom to childhood cancer hero Brooke

“Amy’s superpower is her fierce love that gives her super-strength. This quote is often used to describe Brooke, “though she be but little she is fierce.” She learned to be fierce from her mom. Amy did everything that she could to seek a cure for Brooke. She continues today to share Brooke’s story with researchers as she shows them who they are working to save.” -Connie and John Kordsmeier, friends

Dawn Talley, mom to childhood cancer hero Elijah and SuperSib Hannah

“Dawn is a superhero of a mom because she is always looking ahead for what is best for the kids. For Elijah, this was always looking out for new treatment options or just ways to make his life brighter. My favorite thing about her as a mom is the relationship that she maintains with the kids. They always feel that they can talk to her about anything that is going on in their lives.” -Britt Talley, Dawn’s husband

"It’s hard for me to pick one favorite thing about my mom. She really is my best friend for so many reasons. She has this ability to make every single person feel like they matter and can make a difference, so growing up with someone like that as your mom has always made me feel like I could accomplish anything. Not only have I always felt like I could accomplish anything because of the way she treats me, she is the perfect example on how to treat others. My mom more than knows how to talk to people, because she understands how to listen to them first. It’s what makes her the friendly, loving, compassionate friend we all know and love so much. She taught me from a young age what it’s like to love philanthropy, to volunteer your time, and to value the community you live in by giving back in some way. At first, that community was the one we physically lived in. Eventually that community shifted to childhood cancer. When I was 12, my brother was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. Mom not only had to be the mom for Eli and me anymore. Over the years she became the doctor, the nurse, the lawyer, the counselor, the life coach, the comedian, and so much more all while being the mom and wife. I think one of my most favorite things about her is her ability to juggle so many things at once and do it so WELL. We lost my brother last fall, and my mom lost most of her sense of purpose because so many of her roles were stripped from her. The grief and pain from that loss will never go away for any of us, but her ability to show up as my mom and now as my newborn son’s Nana is what I love most about her. She shows up. She loves hard. She never stops fighting for the ones she loves the most." -Hannah

From everyone at Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, we want to wish all moms out there a happy Mother’s Day!