The Sikora Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disease Outreach Fund

Major Timothy S. Sikora USAF (retired) and Roseann M. Sikora spent their nursing careers caring for children and adults in dire medical need. While Roseann earned her Associate degree in Nursing from University of Hawaii ’72 and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the Incarnate of the Word University ‘84 in San Antonio and Tim earned his Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of New Mexico ‘79, both of their careers included a range of experiences. Throughout Roseann’s 35-year career she cared for children overseas with rare diseases, cared for children and adults in various intensive care unit settings, learned and provided advanced therapy techniques for children, served as an Organ Procurement Coordinator with New Mexico Donor Services, and trained and worked as an operating room nurse. She was honored to be nominated as New Mexico’s Nurse of the Year in 2004. While studying at UNM’s College of Nursing, Tim gained hands on experience caring for young pediatric patients while working at the Hematology/Oncology Clinic. This experience allowed him to learn and apply valuable skills rarely performed by nurses. In return Tim earned the title of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse Specialist. Throughout Tim’s career, he cared for adult gynecology oncology patients, served as the New Mexico Air National Guard’s Chief Nurse of the 188th Medical Group, and cared for patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit at the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Hospital in Albuquerque.

Throughout their careers, both Tim and Roseann realized that the best outcomes for their patients especially children battling cancer and blood diseases came with the full education and support of their family and community. This is why they established The Sikora Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disease Outreach Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to provide specialized continuing education for nursing staff and education for patients and families. Tim and Roseann’s experiences with children in dire medical need inspired them to create this fund to help enhance the care given to the children and their families during these difficult times. Creating this fund was a way for Tim and Roseann to honor the many individuals and families who touched their lives.

Your gift to this fund will allow the nurses and nurse practitioners from UNM’s Department of Pediatrics Division of Hematology & Oncology the resources necessary to travel and provide outreach to families and medical care professionals.