In memoriam Mark Chesler

With deep sadness we learned of the passing of our Honorary Member Mark Chesler on June 5, 2025.

We met Mark Chesler in 1995 when he attended the meeting in Washington DC of the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisations (ICCCPO), now known as Childhood Cancer International (CCI). Mark was a father to a long-term survivor and a Professor in Sociology at the University of Michigan. He had, among many other publications, written the book “Cancer and Self-Help: Bridging the Troubled Waters of Childhood Illness” and one of his areas of research was survivor resilience and thriving. CCI, as a very young organisation, needed good leadership and it was evident that we should ask Mark to join the CCI board.

Mark was a patient and empathetic listener, an organizational guru and a thoughtful and kind man. He became a friend and mentor to many. He cared about CCI greatly and helping children, young adults and their parents find healthy ways to cope was always top of his agenda.

Mark was President of CCI from 1998-2000 and was very committed to growing the international organisation and making sure that parents with their children, wherever they be in the world, have access to treatment. This was not the case in many countries. He always emphasised the importance of parents being informed and involved in decisions regarding the treatment of their children. Mark stepped down from the CCI Board in 2005 in Vancouver, but continued to make valuable contributions.

Mark was also an excellent presenter, giving numerous talks at sessions of SIOP and CCI and leading many workgroup sessions. He made a great contribution (together with John Spinetta, Guiseppe Masera, Tim Eden and others) to put in place the first set of SIOP Psychosocial Guidelines. Inter alia they coined the term “Therapeutic Alliance” to describe the desired relationship between medical staff and parents.

Mark was an inspiration to many and we are lucky to have known him and worked with him so closely. He made the world a better place for children with cancer and their families.

We will miss him.

Sadie Cutland, Former Board Member and Honorary Member

Gerlind Bode, Former Board Member and Honorary Member

Christine McIver, Former Board Member and Honorary Member

Marianne Naafs-Wistra, Former President and Honorary Member