by Victoria Stearns, Public Relations Writer
The award honors nurses who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in hematology and oncology care. It also provides recipients with a scholarship to attend a nursing conference of their choice.
Cook knew she wanted to be a pediatric oncology nurse when a family friend was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. After watching him battle the disease, Cook made it her goal to work with children and families fighting cancer.
The award is given in memory of Laura Snitzer-Boozer, a nurse at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center who died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm in 1999. Snitzer-Boozer had a passion for continuing education in the field of oncology, and the award was founded by friends and family to help spread that passion.
After earning her nursing degree from Cedarville in 1998, Cook became a pediatric nurse and moved to Atlanta in 1999 where she began working at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She currently resides in Lawrenceville, Georgia, with her husband and two daughters.
“I feel very fortunate to work with such a wonderful group of nurses, patient care techs and physicians who look out for one another,” said Cook. “The team at the Aflac Cancer Center has supported me through many changes of life.”
The Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a national leader in the fields of childhood cancer, hematology and blood and marrow transplant programs. It was recently named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 10 pediatric cancer centers in the country.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,711 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.