Georgetown Lombardi Honors Kesem With Inaugural Award for Supporting Families Affected by Parental Cancer

Three individuals stand together — Jay Stilwell (pictured center) accepted the inaugural Nick Hungerford Award from Nancy Hungerford, who co-founded the nonprofit Elizabeth’s Smile with her late husband, and Kenneth Tercyak, PhD, who leads Georgetown Lombardi’s Interventions for Managing Parenting and Cancer Team (IMPACT) program.

Posted in Lombardi Stories | Tagged family support, IMPACT, Nick Hungerford Award

Kesem is the first recipient of the Nick Hungerford Award, established to honor Hungerford’s legacy.

(September 30, 2026) — Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center presented Kesem, a national nonprofit supporting children and families affected by a parent’s cancer, with the inaugural Nick Hungerford Award. Kesem CEO Jay Stilwell accepted the award on the organization’s behalf.

Georgetown Lombardi established the award to honor Nick Hungerford’s legacy and the leadership, advocacy and entrepreneurial spirit that defined his work. The award recognizes those who bring new ideas forward to improve others’ well-being.

Kishon Chambers and Ken Tercyak stand together in a crowded room — (R to L) Kenneth Tercyak, PhD, with Kishon Chambers, program manager for IMPACT and Family Circle by Elizabeth’s Smile.

That spirit is reflected in Georgetown Lombardi’s Interventions for Managing Parenting and Cancer Team (IMPACT), which addresses the well-being of parents with cancer and their children. Kesem’s support for children through and beyond a parent’s cancer experience closely aligns with that mission.

Kesem supports children who have a parent with a cancer diagnosis or have lost a parent to cancer with programs designed to provide connection and community. The national nonprofit trains college student volunteers across the country to lead local chapters and year-round programming, including Camp Kesem, a free overnight summer camp for youth affected by a parent’s cancer.

“Kesem embodies the kind of thoughtful, community-based response to an unmet need that Nick cared so deeply about,” said Kenneth Tercyak, PhD, leader of IMPACT. “Its commitment to children and families affected by a parent’s cancer makes Kesem a fitting inaugural recipient of this award.”

Stilwell’s connection to Kesem is also personal. He first became involved with the organization as a parent after his wife died from cancer and he enrolled their daughter in Camp Kesem. He later served on Kesem’s national board of directors, including as board chair, before becoming CEO.

A girl holds a poster with the words This Kid Loves Camp Kesem — Kesem supports Camp Kesem, a free overnight summer camp for youth affected by a parent’s cancer. (Image courtesy of Kesem)

For Marcel, a former Camp Kesem participant, the impact of the program has lasted well beyond his time at camp. He attended the camp at age 11, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and again at age 12 after she died.

Looking back a decade later, Marcel said the sense of belonging he discovered simply being around other children facing similar circumstances has stayed with him.

“Being surrounded by people who understood what it was like to have cancer affect your family was powerful,” said Marcel, who is now 22. “You didn’t have to explain what you were going through because the other kids understood. A lot of us carried feelings that ran pretty deep, even if we didn’t always show them. Kesem helped me see that something difficult in your life doesn’t have to define you. You can take that experience and turn it in a direction that gives you purpose.”

That same understanding of how cancer affects an entire family is at the heart of the work at Georgetown Lombardi.

Nick Hungerford, who was treated at Georgetown Lombardi, co-founded Elizabeth’s Smile with his wife, Nancy Hungerford, in 2022. The organization, named for their daughter, was created to support children who have a parent with cancer. Following her husband’s death, Nancy Hungerford continued their mission, ultimately partnering with Georgetown Lombardi to establish IMPACT and its signature program, Family Circle by Elizabeth’s Smile.

Nancy Hungerford speaks from a podium — Nancy Hungerford

“Nick admired the novel way in which Kesem addresses the social and mental health issues that families endure when a parent is diagnosed with cancer,” Nancy Hungerford said. “He dedicated his final days toward a shared goal with Kesem: ensuring that no child is left behind in the multi-pronged approach to cancer care.”

The award was presented Sept. 22 at the Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C., during an evening focused on supporting families navigating a parent’s cancer journey. Hungerford and Kenneth Tercyak, PhD, discussed Family Circle and the continuing effort to expand and sustain resources for parents with cancer and their children.

Family Circle is part of IMPACT’s broader mission to support parents with cancer and their families. For the first time at Georgetown Lombardi, Family Circle brings these resources together under one coordinated program, making it easier for families to access support. Working at the intersection of oncology, psychiatry and palliative care, the team strengthens the holistic care that parents with cancer receive, directly serves parents with cancer and their families who are being treated at Georgetown Lombardi, and helps train the next generation of clinicians and scientists.

According to Tercyak, Family Circle is on track to reach more than 1,000 parents affected by cancer this year across MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, affiliate hospitals of Georgetown Lombardi. As part of its mission, Family Circle connects parents, caregivers and children with no-cost services and resources, including parenting support and guidance for children.