Mursal

Mursal

Mursal is a published poet and cancer survivor whose resilience and creativity have profoundly shaped her personal and professional journey. Diagnosed with cancer during her undergraduate studies, she navigated the challenges of treatment while maintaining her academic commitments. This experience not only challenged her strength but also fostered a profound bond with art, nature, and writing, seeing them as essential means of expression and healing.

Upon completing her treatment and earning her degree, Mursal developed a strong commitment to community engagement, with a particular focus on supporting individuals facing similar health challenges. Her dedication to advocacy is reflected in her volunteer work with cancer support groups and mentoring initiatives that aim to empower others through shared experiences and compassion.

Mursal’s debut poetry collection, In Awe of Becoming, published alongside the work of other cancer survivors, showcases her evocative exploration of survival, vulnerability, and hope. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and her own journey, her work resonates with readers for its emotional authenticity.

Today, Mursal spends her free time mentoring young women who are cancer survivors, supporting them through the complexities of recovery and the creative expression process. Through her guidance, she fosters resilience and self-discovery, helping these women find their voices through art and writing while nurturing supportive communities built on empathy and shared experience.

Danielle H., LICSW

Danielle H.

Danielle was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at 34. She’s now 2.5 years cancer-free and passionate about supporting other young adults navigating cancer. As a school social worker, Danielle has always been driven to help others—and Cactus Cancer Society deepened that passion by introducing her to creative coping through their art programs. Now, as a Rooted Voices Advisory Board member, she’s excited to help expand access to meaningful, age-appropriate support. Danielle lives in D.C. with her cat, Ash (famous for his extra toe and fist bumps), and enjoys kickboxing, crocheting, and spending time with friends and family.

Lauren Morales, LCSW

Lauren (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker and young adult cancer survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Before joining Cactus Cancer Society as Senior Program Coordinator, she spent more than a decade working across hospitals, military installations, primary care, and private practice, where she specialized in trauma and grief therapy for folx navigating oncology and chronic illness. She has a deep interest in meaning-making, identity, intersectionality, and community building within the psycho-oncology and AYA space. 

When she is not working, you can usually find Lauren curled up on the couch with her two dogs, testing out a new recipe or finding a new restaurant, or lost in a book. She is also an active duty military spouse, a passionate advocate for health care reform, a lover of spoken word poetry, and a proud Auntie.

Betty Roggenkamp

Betty Roggenkamp is a trailblazer in the field of cancer care quality improvement. With over 14 years of experience as an independent consultant, she has dedicated her career to improving the lives of adolescents and young adults (AYA).

Currently, Betty is the project lead for a Chicago-based cancer treatment site and patient advocacy AYA collaborative, an AYA program development strategist for Teen Cancer America, interim staff member for Young and a Survivor (YAAS) a CDC funded initiative with the University of Illinois, and a team lead assessing potential global AYA collaborative efforts for the Global Accord. In her roles she manages teams of clinicians, allied health professionals, researchers, national patient advocacies, and patients addressing unmet AYA needs with the goal to implement change management strategies that positively impact life outcomes for young people with a cancer diagnosis.

Betty is also actively involved in cancer survivor workshops, patient advisory boards, and group discussions to listen, gather feedback, and identify areas of prevailing need in cancer care. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship Working Group with the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Illinois Cancer Partnership Program.  She received a MS in Health Communication from Northwestern University and thinks of herself as a care pusher for young people diagnosed with cancer.

Erin Leibowitz

Erin Leibowitz

Erin Leibowitz is a 6 year pancreatic neuroendocrine (pNET) cancer survivor and a passionate advocate for young adults living with NET cancer and other cancers. She has several years of experience working in the nonprofit sector and currently works as a consultant writing for nonprofits. Erin lives in Denver with her daughter, Eliana, service dog Maggie, and trouble maker cat, Frank. In her spare time, Erin enjoys exploring Colorado’s many parks and tending to her plants.

Yamilet Cendejas

Yamilet Cendejas

Yamilet Cendejas is the Director of Philanthropy at Indian River Community Foundation in Vero Beach, Florida. Yamilet is also the customer service representative in her family’s business, Yami’s Ice Cream Shop. Yamilet holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Indian River State College. She is a member of the international honor society Sigma Beta Delta.


Yamilet was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new places, outdoor activities, spending time with friends and family, and attempting to surf.

Dennis Heffern, LCSW

Dennis Heffern, LCSW

Dennis has worked in the human services field since 1988. The early part of his career was spent working with at-risk adolescents in residential settings, including community group homes and secure psychiatric cottage units, in New York State. His work with youth continued in his capacity as a high school teacher and counselor for the Jesuit Volunteers for three years in Belize, Central America.


Upon completion of a graduate degree in Social Work in 1997, Dennis relocated to Denver, CO, and resumed working with youth as the Program Supervisor for Urban Peak, a homeless shelter and drop-in-center for youth under 21. In 1998, Dennis began doing Medical Social Work with a 4-year stint at Denver Health Medical Center, working in both hospital and outpatient clinic settings. Serving a wide variety of medical specialties, a significant portion of this time was spent working with people living with HIV/AIDS, including time with Behavioral Health providing substance abuse treatment and methadone maintenance. Dennis’ current position has involved providing clinical social work services to adults and families affected by cancer at Kaiser Permanente’s Franklin Oncology Clinic in central Denver, since 2002.


Dennis is married to Jennifer, also a medical social worker, and they are parents to children, Megan (19) and Ethan (17), and recent new member of the family, Layla, a small Goldendoodle just over 1 year old! Self-care for Dennis will always be found on a mountain bike in the foothills of the Rockies, but if the trails are wet or snowy, he just might go skiing. While Dennis has adopted the Denver Broncos during his 20-plus years in Colorado, at heart he is a Buffalo Bills fan!

Diana Cejas

Diana Cejas

Diana M. Cejas, MD, MPH is a pediatric neurologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She obtained her medical degree at Howard University in Washington, DC in 2010. She completed pediatric residency training in the Tulane University – Oschner Health Systems Pediatric Residency Program in New Orleans, Louisiana. She obtained a Masters of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health at the George Washington University in Washington, DC prior to moving on to her pediatric neurology training at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. She is board certified in both General Pediatrics and Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology.

Chris Stroh

Chris Stroh

Chris Stroh was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 23 years old and is now enjoying his 10th year of survivorship. Over the past 5 years, Chris has become more and more active in the AYA cancer community, volunteering for Imerman Angels and Stupid Cancer. He is extremely proud to be able to continue to contribute to the community he has benefited so much from as part of the Cactus Cancer Society Young Adult Cancer Survivor Board. When he isn’t working or volunteering, he enjoys traveling with his wife and playing with his daughters.

KM Hammond

KM Hammond

KM Hammond grew up with an unhealthy obsession in two areas: storytelling and dead people. Naturally, these obsessions flowered into a passion for novel-writing (the creepier the better), summers spent poring over bones in a laboratory, and many—many—socially unacceptable dinner conversations. Eir resume includes such things as an MA in biological anthropology, venturing through the soulless jungle of corporate call center life, a blossoming list of audiobook narration credits, and kicking Hodgkin Lymphoma’s crusty ass.