Lorraine Tallman spread the word about Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels at the 2018 Oncology Nursing Society Congress. 46 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2018

Two champions at an Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels sports camp. Teen Night brings a sense of normalcy to the lives of young cancer patients. Judy Pearson CONTRIBUTING WRITER info@A2ndAct.org families to stay together,” Tallman said. “They face so many financial attacks. Sometimes parents have to quit work while the medical bills continue to grow. So we created a financial assistance program. Then we added Spa Days, Craft Days, Meals of Hope and Teen Nights.” Yet another idea popped up as a result of Amanda’s cancer journey. The most recent addition to the work Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels does will help children around the world. Amanda often experienced pain when nurses had to access her port. Chemo needles are large, and positioning them often requires several attempts. It’s traumatic for all ages, and hugely so for children. So Tallman approached the C.R. Bard company, which manufactures and markets innovative, life-enhancing medical technologies, to create the “Amanda Needle.” A plastic stabilizer fits over the port to ensure that the needle can be inserted easily on the first try, making injections easier and less traumatic for young patients and their families. Of course nothing can take away a parent’s grief when a child dies. But just like a rainbow brightens the sky at the end of a dark storm, Lorraine Tallman and her family see Amanda’s bright smile reflected in the smile of every child their programs serve. To learn more, visit amandhope.org . SEPTEMBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 47 A 2ND ACT CONTINUED