Lisa Wise

Lisa has a Bachelor of Education from McGill University and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. Lisa and her husband of 30 years live in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She is the proud mom of 23-year-old fraternal twin sons. As one of her sons carries the diagnoses of Crouzon Syndrome and Hydrocephalous, their family has learned how to manage life with multiple complex chronic lifelong conditions.

Born into a cancer-cluster family, Lisa has navigated the palliative care journey with three of her immediate family members. She uses the invaluable lessons gained from these pivotal experiences to inform, shape and guide her professional work of 21 years as a family and patient-centered healthcare specialist. She spent 16 years working at Packard Children’s Hospital in the Department of Family-Centered Care in Stanford, California.

Drawing upon her personal journey as a cancer patient throughout the past decade, Lisa benefits deeply learning from the wisdom and strength of fellow WM patients as she proudly volunteers for the International Waldentrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation as Vice-Chair of Member Services, Chair of the U.S. Support Groups & Lifeline Committee and Support Group Leader for E. Pennsylvania and S. New Jersey.

Since 2013, Lisa has been a dedicated student at the Penn Program for Mindfulness. In an attempt to catch her breath, Lisa delights in visiting the ocean, listening to blues guitar, finding healing humor in everyday life, and practicing mindfulness meditation. Regular doses of high-quality dark chocolate help as well.