Natania Abebe, Jennifer Award

Natania is a third year nursing student at the University of Ottawa. Natania has been volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario for many years, largely as playroom monitor, where she participates in therapeutic play with oncology patients. Noticing the need for patients to have alternate avenues to healing, Natania worked with the Ottawa Folklore Center to implement a Ukulele Therapy Program within the Childlife Program. The program provides the opportunity for patients to learn to play ukulele as well as sing and “jam along” with experienced ukulele players. She is also involved with research programs on both epidemiological and clinical research on endometrial cancer, endometriosis as well as IDH mutant glioma.