Amy Elam
Amy Elam
Family Advisory Council member Amy Elam.
Jessica, daughter of Family Advisory Council member Amy Elam, enjoys the Christmas holidays.
Brain tumor cancer patient Jessica Elam rides a horse.
Amy Elam joined the Family Advisory Council as a parent at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center during April 2004.
Amy and her husband Jeff have three children: Zach, Jessica and Clara Jean. In 2001, Amy's daughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
"Jess was first diagnosed with a brain tumor. With such a devastating diagnosis as cancer, our experience here as been a good one," Amy said. Since her diagnosis, Jessica has been a patient in several programs at Cincinnati Children's, including:
Amy joined the Family Advisory Council after being recommended as a candidate by former council member Marilyn Martin. "I joined this council because I wanted to be a part of a group of family and staff members to make this hospital an even better place to come," Amy said.
"I'm hoping our experiences with the different departments will help teach the new doctors coming in to include the parents and to show compassion in each situation," Amy said.
"The Family Advisory Council is very important at Cincinnati Children's because it has increased the communication between the families and the staff. It has also been teaching the medical staff to listen more to the families' concerns and needs of their child or children."
Amy is an active member of the Family Advisory Council and serves on the Liberty Township Site Planning Committee.
In her leisure time, Amy enjoys teaching swim lessons to people of all ages. "I enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding and being involved in finding a cure for childhood cancer," Amy said.
Read the Elam family's personal journal about Jessica's battle and journey with childhood cancer.
