Meet Our Team

Our team, composed of registered nurses, has significant experience assisting childhood cancer patients, including those who have faced a DIPG or DMG diagnosis.

We want to ease this journey as much as possible by helping you understand the disease and navigate your options, and by making sure you are connected as quickly and easily as possible to the resources that can help you the most.

Daniela Ciccolini | Director of Nurse Navigation

Daniela Ciccolini, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, CPHON, graduated from Boston University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology before obtaining a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She began her career as a Nurse Practitioner in 2013 while completing a fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. While there, she cared for children suffering from Leukemia and Lymphoma and later patients with brain tumors. During her time at St. Jude Daniela found a passion for educating future nurse practitioners and was the recipient of the 2019 Preceptor of the Year award from the University of Tennessee’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She also was awarded numerous Ovation awards for patient care and nurse education.

Prior to joining ChadTough, Daniela worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Neuro-Oncology Nurse Practitioner, caring for children with cancer, including DIPG. Daniela is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing at Northeastern University, and hopes to use her research to further the mission of ChadTough and improve care for children diagnosed with DIPG or DMG.

Alison Blom | Social Worker

Alison has worked within the pediatric oncology field for the last 10 years. She graduated from Northeastern University in 2014 with a Bachelors of Science in Human Services and Criminal Justice. She has been involved with organizations such as Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, Camp Okizu in Northern California, and Family House in San Francisco. After a career in fundraising for pediatric oncology organizations, she found that her true passion was in working directly with families. In 2022, she graduated with honors from University of Denver with a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Health and Wellness. Most recently, Alison worked as the Solid Tumor Social Worker at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she helped families navigate a variety of cancer diagnoses.

Mary Benson | Nurse Navigator

Mary Benson, DNP, PNP-AC/PC, CPHON, earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Montana State University in 2013 and went on to complete her Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Creighton University in 2019.

For more than a decade, Mary has dedicated her career to pediatric oncology, serving in both nursing and nurse practitioner roles at leading institutions, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Nebraska, and most recently, Children’s Hospital Colorado.

She has developed a particular passion for pediatric neuro-oncology, dedicating a significant portion of her career to caring for children and families affected by brain and spinal cord tumors. She has also pursued advanced training in pediatric palliative care through the ELNEC Oncology APRN program to further strengthen her ability to care for patients and their loved ones.

Mary’s experience and dedication to her patients and families make this role especially meaningful. She is honored to help guide, support, and empower families in their DIPG/DMG journey.

Margot Henderson | Nurse Navigator

Margot Henderson, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, earned her Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services with a minor in Child Development from Vanderbilt University in 2015 and her Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt School of Nursing in 2017.

In 2020, Margot joined St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a nurse practitioner, first serving on the palliative care team as the embedded neuro-oncology specialist, where she supported children and families throughout the disease trajectory. She later transitioned to the neuro-oncology outpatient team, providing comprehensive care for patients undergoing clinical trials and cancer-directed therapies. These experiences shaped her passion for working with children diagnosed with DIPG and DMG, with a focus on symptom management and supporting families through the challenges of these diagnoses.

Most recently, Margot worked at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, caring for children with brain and spinal tumors as part of the neuro-oncology team. She continues to dedicate her career to advancing care for children with DIPG and DMG, drawing on her expertise in both neuro-oncology and palliative medicine to provide holistic, compassionate support for patients and their families.

Lauren McFall | Nurse Navigator

Lauren McFall BSN, RN, had 8 years of experience in oncology prior to joining ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. She graduated from Ball State University (Muncie, IN) in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science/Nursing degree. She is currently chemotherapy, biotherapy, BLS, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified. In her career as a bedside nurse, she received a Red Shoe award, a DAISY award, a Team DAISY award, numerous other DAISY Award nominations, and three peer facility awards.

Lauren spent two years at Reid Hospital in Richmond, IN on a general oncology floor. Afterwards, she spent three years at Riley Children’s Hospital (Indianapolis, IN) as a charge nurse on the pediatric stem cell unit where she cared for and treated a multitude of pediatric cancers, including an array of different types of brain and spinal cord tumors in children. Lauren had practical experience with specific diagnoses at Riley Children’s that included low- and high-grade Gliomas, Astrocytoma, Ganglioglioma, atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid tumors (ARTR), primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), Medulloblastoma, and germ cell tumors. During her time at Riley Children’s, she administered multiple chemotherapy and biotherapy agents and performed the stem cell transfusions and transplants on the unit. Lauren also spent three years at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital as a charge nurse and a clinical supervisor where she also saw an array of Pediatric cancer patients, administering multiple chemotherapies including trial therapies.

Ashley Rogers | Nurse Navigator

Ashley Rogers CPNP-PC, MSN, BSN, RN has worked in pediatrics for 10 years. She began her career at Huntsville Hospital in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Alabama. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her master’s degree in Pediatric Primary Care while working simultaneously as a Nurse Practitioner at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Affiliate Clinic.

In her most recent role at St. Jude, Ashley worked closely with children suffering blood disorders and cancer, including DIPG, to monitor conditions, progress and treatments. She worked extensively with patients and parents to educate them throughout their journey while helping to coordinate care with institutions across the nation.

Ashley was part of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing in 2013 in recognition of excellence in scholarship and achievements in nursing through the University of Alabama. She was also the recipient of the Care Champion award in 2014 and 2015 in recognition of excellence in care by Huntsville Hospital.