APHON Donations

Your contribution to APHON strengthens our mission to advance the practice of pediatric hematology/oncology nursing. Donations directly support professional development opportunities, educational initiatives, and critical resources that empower nurses to deliver the highest standard of care to children, adolescents, and their families. Invest in the future of our profession—make a difference today.

Thank You to Our Donors

APHON Mission & Vision

You may have noticed the starfish in the “O” of the APHON logo. This symbol is deeply meaningful to our organization—it’s inspired by The Star Thrower, an essay by Loren Eiseley, and the timeless story it tells:

An man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer.
As he came closer he saw that it was a woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.
“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” he asked
“The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die.”
“Do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference.”
The woman listened, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying,
“It made a difference for that one.”

Adapted from “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley, originally published in The Unexpected Universe (1969).

APHON’s Global Outreach Initiative