Meet our Peer Guides
Our team of Peer Guides is comprised of members of the chordoma community who volunteer with the Chordoma Foundation to be matched with fellow patients or caregivers who need emotional support along their journey with chordoma. Peer Guides provide a listening ear, serve as a sounding board, and suggest helpful information and resources, if requested.
Sharon Berlan
Peer Guide since: 2011
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: cervical and clival
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
Sue Horst Brenneman
Peer Guide since: 2020
Connection: chordoma co-survivor
Tumor location: clival
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Relationships with family and friends
- Grief and loss
Sue also serves as a moderator of Chordoma Connections, the Foundation’s private online community and is on our Community Advisory Board.
Alex Casanave
Peer Guide since: 2020
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: clival
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Working or going to school during or after treatment
- Navigating chordoma as a young adult
Donna DiMuro
Peer Guide since: 2020
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: sacral
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
Susan Hall
Peer Guide since: 2020
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: sacral
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Marital relationships
- Relationships with family and friends
- Grief and loss
- Working or going to school during or after treatment
Chris Jones
Peer Guide since: 2016
Connection: chordoma co-survivor
Tumor location: cervical
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- Marital relationships
- Relationships with family and friends
- Parenting a child who has chordoma
- Grief and loss
Chris also serves on our Community Advisory Board.
Julia Lisena
Peer Guide since: 2021
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: clival
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Working or going to school during or after treatment
Dan Nagridge
Peer Guide since: 2020
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: clival
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Marital relationships
- Relationships with family and friends
- Grief and loss
- Working or going to school during or after treatment
Steve Olson
Peer Guide since: 2021
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: sacral
Talk with me about:
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Grief and loss
Adriane Rothstein
Peer Guide since: 2011
Connection: chordoma survivor
Tumor location: clival
Talk with me about:
- Parenting with chordoma
- Support while making treatment decisions
- What to expect during treatment
- Dealing with treatment side effects and quality of life challenges
- Marital relationships
- Relationships with family and friends
Kris Stahl
Peer Guide since: 2016
Connection: chordoma co-survivor
Tumor location: lumbar
Talk with me about:
- Marital relationships
- Relationships with family and friends
- Grief and loss
Kris also serves as a moderator of Chordoma Connections, the Foundation’s private online community.
Talk with a Peer Guide
If you’re interested in talking to someone who has been through a similar chordoma journey, Peer Connect can help. Once registered, we will match you with a trained Peer Guide who has had similar experiences.
Provide chordoma support
If you are interested in providing free, confidential, peer support to others touched by chordoma whose experiences with this cancer are similar, apply to become a Peer Guide. We offer self-paced, online training.