Oncology nurses are there to explain the diagnosis to patients and their families and be their guide through treatment. They are there to celebrate the wins and provide comfort when the road gets rough. Their commitment, dedication, and endless compassion for their patients deserve to be recognized. To end Oncology Nursing Month, we wanted to recognize one of our own. Today, we’re celebrating you, Amy Schneider.

Meet Amy Schneider

Amy Schneider, B.S.N., R.N., CHPON, is a Case Manager for Cancer Survivorship, founder and facilitator of AYA Support Group Some Of My Best Friends Are Bald, and a member of b-present’s Advisory Board. She has been at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego for 33 years.

“When I started working in the clinic, it was apparent that there was very little in place specifically for our adolescent population. And here we are 30 years later still and always working on this. I have always loved working with that age group and our child life specialist at the time, and I started SOMBFAB. We will be 30 years old in April!”

What is SOMBFAB?

SOMBFAB, or Some Of My Best Friends Are Bald, is a support group for teens and young adult cancer patients and their siblings that focuses on life-lasting friendships and creating memories to last that lifetime and beyond. They provide a ton of age-appropriate activities and experiences that give AYA and their siblings a wonderful place to connect. With the recent pandemic, SOMBFAB is facing the same challenges that everyone has—not being able to connect in person. For the duration, they started ZOOMBFAB, where everyone is virtually connecting via Zoom twice a month to keep the thread of connection going during this difficult time.

Her “Day Job”

Amy is in charge of coordinating care for almost 700 cancer survivors who are active with Rady Children’s Hospital, and her database has nearly 1300 people on it (this includes survivors that have moved on to adult care or moved away, etc.).

“It has always been my goal to make each patient feel just as important as they did on day one, no matter how far out treatment they are! Their Thriving After Cancer Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic that helps our survivors move forward and Live Their Best Life. It is always an incredible blessing to do the work you feel you were born to do. I feel as though SOMBFAB is my life’s work. We have enhanced the lives of countless AYA.”

Learn more

• Learn more about the b-present Foundation
• For information on SOMBFAB, contact Amy 858-966-1700, ext 223085 or email [email protected]