Please note that all event times are in Central Time.
This webinar is in honor of National Children’s Grief Awareness Month and is in collaboration with:
Experience Camps, Inheritance of Hope, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Twist Out Cancer and WeGotThis.org.
Event Type: Virtual (Zoom Session)
Who Can Attend: This free educational webinar is well suited for parents, caregivers, friends, family, school professionals; anyone who wants to take away practical, evidence-based ways to talk to kids about incurable or end-stage cancer.
Cost: Free
Join us for a free live webinar and parent panel focused on the unique experiences of parenting with terminal cancer.
Telling kids about a parent or guardian’s cancer diagnosis can be hard. At the same time, research shows that open, age-appropriate conversations with kids about their parent’s illness helps to decrease their worry, stress, and anxiety and promotes their social-emotional wellbeing. Our Chief Clinical Officer, Kelsey Mora, CCLS, LCPC, is an expert in supporting families through illness.
Register for this webinar to learn how to talk to kids about end of life, and hear from a panel of families sharing their lived experience navigating parenting with terminal cancer. You'll also receive a free digital copy of our Pickles Family Cancer Support Kit, and a recording of the webinar to watch on your own time.
Panel Moderator:
Elissa Kalver
Founder & CEO of WeGotThis.org, Cancer Survivor
At 34, Elissa faced a Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer diagnosis, just before her daughter’s first birthday. Her fighting spirit wouldn’t let her sit back, or simply try to survive. Instead, in her 5th round of chemo, Elissa launched WeGotThis.org – the world’s first nonprofit cancer gift registry. WeGotThis.org provides a free platform for cancer thrivers to comfortably request the items they really need, and gives their loved ones the chance to support them in a meaningful way. Elissa has also just released her debut book “WE GOT THIS: How I Learned to Thrive With Terminal Cancer” and is a professional keynote speaker.
Andy Hart
Pickles Group, Caregiver, Widower & Parent
Andy grew up in rural northwestern Ohio. He met the person who would become his wife, Amanda, in the fifth grade. They were married in 2006, in the summer between our sophomore and junior years of college at Ohio State. They moved from Ohio to Chicago in 2010 so that he could pursue an interest in comedy. Their son, Harrison, was born in 2016. Amanda began to have pain in her breast in 2020, but assumed it was related to weaning their son, which she had recently done. Eventually the pain became too great, and Amanda saw her doctor. She was diagnosed with stage IV inflammatory breast cancer in February 2022, and they connected with Pickles soon thereafter. Inflammatory breast cancer is a relatively rare form of breast cancer, which is also extremely aggressive, and they were told up front that the disease was terminal. She was on her first treatment for 18 months, so they were hopeful other treatments would be successful, but she quickly cycled through her remaining treatments and passed away in February 2025. Andy enjoys cooking (and eating), following sports (allegiances are mostly Ohio-based but he tries to keep up with Chicago sports also), writing and performing comedy, video games, and music. He’s known for not having seen a lot of culturally relevant movies (like The Godfather) and for knowing a lot about The Beach Boys.
Ashleigh Quirarte
Inheritance of Hope, Cancer Survivor Spouse, Caregiver & Parent
Ashleigh worked as an elementary school counselor for 7 years before transitioning to become a stay at a home mom. In November of 2024, her husband, Joe, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and given an initial prognosis of 12-18 months. At the time their two children were 3 years old and 11 months. When not being mom and caregiver, she enjoys reading and hiking.
Kristina Burke
Twist Out Cancer, Director of Development, Cancer Survivor, Caregiver, Widow & Parent
Kristina Burke is a dynamic hospitality and business development professional based in Philadelphia with over 30 years of experience creating meaningful, purpose-driven experiences. As the Director of Business Development at Twist Out Cancer, Kristina brings her signature energy, attention to detail, and deep-rooted belief in the power of connection to cultivate strategic partnerships and drive innovative fundraising initiatives.
Her career spans the restaurant, event, nonprofit, and academic sectors, including her work as a hospitality consultant for The Tasties, a celebration of food, story, and community. Kristina is known for her ability to build authentic relationships that bridge mission with impact—connecting people and organizations at the intersection of art, healing, and human connection.
In addition to her role at Twist Out Cancer, Kristina is a trauma-informed grief coach, supporting young mothers navigating the loss of a partner to serious illness. Inspired by her own experience with loss, she’s committed to creating safe, compassionate spaces where your grief is seen and healing is possible.
Kristina is also a breast cancer survivor. While undergoing her own treatment, she simultaneously cared for her husband, who was diagnosed with EGFR stage IV lung cancer the following year. Her beloved husband ultimately passed away from complications of his illness, an experience that profoundly shaped her work and deepened her commitment to supporting others through loss.
Nick Pifani
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Cancer Survivor & Parent
Husband. Father. Ironman. Marathon runner. 8 year pancreatic cancer survivor.
Sean Diamond
Experience Camps, Caregiver, Widower & Parent
Sean was born, raised and lives in San Diego. He’s the father to 15 year old twins, Zach and Gracie. His wife, the twins Mom, passed away in 2017 from breast cancer. The twins were in 1st grade and had just turned 7. He is a software executive so he’s had to navigate a career, being an only parent, taking a break from work, dating, getting engaged and now getting remarried. It’s been quite a journey for Sean, and his family continues to honor Nicole constantly.
Registration:
Please register to
1) receive your free digital copy of our Pickles Family Support Kit
2) receive the webinar Zoom link
3) submit your questions in advance. Questions must be submitted by noon CT the day before the webinar to ensure we have time to address the group’s priority concerns.