Joanna Fawzy Morales, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Morales is a cancer rights attorney, author, speaker, and CEO of Triage Cancer, a national, nonprofit organization providing free education on practical and legal issues that may impact individuals coping with cancer and their caregivers, through events, materials, and resources.

Ms. Morales has spent nearly thirty years working on behalf of individuals with cancer, including five as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, teaching a seminar in Cancer Rights Law, and eight at the John Wayne Cancer Institute’s Psychosocial Care Program and Positive Appearance Center. She has also taught a Community Advocacy Clinic, as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Wayne State University Law School.

Ms. Morales co-authored the book, Cancer Rights Law, for the American Bar Association – the first and only book of its kind. In 2020, she wrote a chapter Cancer-Related Legal Issues, for the Oncology Nursing Society’s book, Oncology Nurse Navigation: Delivering Patient-Centered Care Across the Continuum. In 2017, she wrote Preventing or Minimizing Financial Toxicity Across the Continuum of Cancer Care, a chapter for the Oncology Nursing Society’s book, Cancer Survivorship: Transdisciplinary, Patient-Centered Approaches to the Season of Survival. In 2009, she also contributed to a book entitled, Work and Cancer Survivors. And, her work has appeared in a variety of other publications, such as Psycho-Oncology, Heal, Cure, Coping with Cancer, Women, and Ability Magazine.

Ms. Morales has presented nearly one thousand educational seminars on employment, insurance, health care, and advocacy issues throughout the country for individuals diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, health care professionals, advocates, lawyers, employers, and the general public.

In addition, she has served on numerous cancer community committees and boards, including as Chair of the Board of Directors for the California Division of the American Cancer Society, ZERO Prostate Cancer’s Medical Advisory Board, the National Advisory Board of CancerForward, the Stupid Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council, and the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association’s Breast Cancer Task Force.

Ms. Morales has received several awards and recognition for her service to the cancer community and her work in the area of legislative advocacy, including the 2009 Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Public Policy Advocate of the Year and the 2015 Legacy Advocate Award from Stupid Cancer. In 2010, she was recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 20 Attorneys in California Under the Age of 40.

Ms. Morales earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from the University of California Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School Los Angeles.

Kaylee Place
Communications Director

Kaylee has more than a decade of experience in communications, community organizing, community outreach, event planning and politics.

Prior to joining Triage Cancer, she worked at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit for nearly seven years – and for more than four years as director of marketing and communications. Prior to that, she was the assistant director of community outreach. Her favorite part of communications and marketing is editing and creating content that’s accessible to all people. 

Drawing inspiration from the director of the Law School’s Legal Advocacy for People with Cancer Clinic and her mother, a longtime oncology social worker, Kaylee is now pursuing an M.S.S.W. and certificate in veterinary social work through the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. 

She graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in gender studies. That same year, she received a statewide award in Michigan for her work in politics.

Kaylee has a strong commitment to educating people about the importance of the human-animal bond, and most of her free time is spent training and entertaining her golden retriever puppy and honoring the memory of her rescued golden retrievers, Josie and Mandy.

Nicole Jolicoeur, Esq.
Staff Attorney

Prior to joining Triage Cancer, Nicole was an Excelsior Fellow at the New York State Office of Mental Health in Counsel’s Office. After leaving OMH, Nicole worked as a staff attorney at a nonprofit representing incarcerated individuals’ civil and human rights on a variety of matters, including access to medical and mental health care.

While in law school, Nicole’s father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the BRCA genetic mutation. While this was not the first family member to be diagnosed with cancer, it became a firsthand experience of the many legal difficulties that cancer patients, and their families, face during their battle with cancer. This experience, along with the social injustices she has seen throughout her work, has instilled Nicole with a passion for assisting those diagnosed with cancer. She appreciates and shares Triage Cancer’s mission to provide education on the practical and legal issues that those diagnosed with cancer may experience.

Nicole earned a Juris Doctor from New York Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology from Hofstra University. She is a member of the New York bar.

Amanda Goodstadt, Esq.
Staff Attorney

Prior to joining Triage Cancer, Amanda spent 12 years counseling seniors and caregivers about Medicare and related benefits through the Westchester (NY) Library System. She most recently served as a Program Coordinator for the WLS Senior Benefits Individual Counseling program. In addition, Amanda has been a Caregiver Coach at the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center at Northern Westchester Hospital. She has a lengthy history of volunteer work with nonprofits, including service on multiple boards of directors in her community.

Amanda is an attorney and previously served as a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for a division of News Corp. She began her legal career as a corporate associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Amanda earned a B.A. in Government from Cornell University and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She is a member of the New York and New Jersey bars.

Melissa Salamon, Esq.
Staff Attorney

Melissa is an attorney whose career has focused on improving social determinants of health to improve health equity. Prior to joining Triage Cancer, Melissa managed the Health Law Partnerships at the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio. Her individual casework focused on working with families to resolve issues related to Domestic Violence, Immigration, Special Education, and School Discipline. She also participated in various collaborations to reduce social injustices in the education system, including the Kids in School Rule program and a certificate program through Georgetown’s Center for Juvenile Justice.

Prior to law school, Melissa served as an Urban Youth Development volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Paraguay where she became fluent in Spanish. She also worked as a Case Manager in the foster care system in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Melissa is passionate about helping ensure that people are able to access resources and information when they are in crisis and need it most. She is thrilled to work with Triage Cancer to help provide individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers the information they need to navigate such a difficult time.

Melissa attended the Ohio State University where she graduated with a J.D./M.A. dual degree from the Moritz College of Law and John Glenn School of Public Affairs. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Tulane University. She is a member of the Ohio bar.

Sophia Alexander
Events Coordinator

Sophia is honored to be the Events Coordinator for Triage Cancer and is excited to connect with diverse communities around the country. Sophia is a social justice advocate with a deep passion for creating tangible change through education. She achieved a degree in International Relations from the University of Maryland, along with a minor in nonprofit management. She has volunteer and professional experience supporting individuals of all ages with accessing the resources needed to manage their mental and physical health. As such, Sophia is thrilled to help further Triage Cancer's mission of expanding equitable resources for those impacted by a cancer diagnosis or serious medical condition. In her free time, Sophia enjoys yoga, painting, and exploring new areas of San Diego.

Abbey Boggs
Development Coordinator

Abbey earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston and has a background in both business and education. She is also a volunteer grant writer for a local nonprofit organization and enjoys helping nonprofits grow and create positive change. She became interested in working in the cancer community when she led a yearlong project for a cancer-related intellectual property in college.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, volunteering, and trying new things. As a native Houstonian, she likes experiencing the many foods and events that her city has to offer. She also loves to gain a global perspective through travel and spent a summer in college as an au pair living in Italy. She speaks Italian and wants to remain a continuous learner by studying other languages as well.

Carson Crochet
Outreach Coordinator

Carson is the Outreach Coordinator for Triage Cancer and looks forward to expanding impact through partnerships.

Carson double majored in Arab Studies and German Studies at Davidson College. While a student, her mother was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer that led Carson to start her own cancer business, CA'Buddy. CA'Buddy, aka Cancer Buddy, provides patients and caregivers love, comfort, and support through care packages. With CA'Buddy, Carson became increasingly invested in the cancer community and discovered her passion for cancer advocacy.

Before joining Triage Cancer team, Carson worked with an underprivileged youth nonprofit and with many animal-welfare advocacy groups. In her free time, Carson inspires to become a nature painter and loves hanging out with her little epileptic cat, Aspen.

Danielle Starling Pardue, Esq.
Legal Fellow

Danielle is the legal fellow for Triage Cancer, a national, nonprofit organization with the goal of connecting patients, caregivers and health professionals to the resources to navigate cancer survivorship.

Danielle is an attorney, actor, cancer patient advocate, and healthcare social media consultant. Most importantly, she is the primary caregiver for her parents. Danielle’s mother was diagnosed with Stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer in 2015. Danielle is a full-time advocate for her mother, as well as for her father, who has several chronic illnesses. In addition to her work for Triage Cancer, Danielle serves as a Social Media Ambassador, support group co-moderator, caregiver mentor, event committee member, and blogger for the LUNGevity Foundation. She is also the Social Media Coordinator for Upstage Lung Cancer. Danielle sits on the Community Advisory Board for the Recruitment Innovation Center based at Vanderbilt University and focused on the joint NIH-NCATS goal of improving the enrollment and retention of underserved populations in clinical trials. She has served on several panels and advisory boards on caregiving and patient advocacy issues for many constituents, including nonprofits and the pharmaceutical industry.

Danielle hopes to help connect cancer survivors and their care partners with concretely useful resources, and to increase awareness around cancer survivorship by engaging with as many patients and families as possible.

She is honored to serve as the Triage Cancer Legal Fellow, and to support the organization’s unique mission and objectives.

Danielle earned a Juris Doctor from Campbell University in Raleigh, NC, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre with a focus in directing from the Boston University School of Theatre. She is a member of both the North Carolina and New York bars.