Jen-Ai Childress

Jen-Ai Childress is a kindergarten teacher in Winston Salem, North Carolina. She attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina and received her Master’s degree in teaching from Trinity University in Washington D.C.  She has been in the field of education for over fifteen years and is also a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. which fosters a spirit of sisterhood among teachers and promotes the highest ideals of the teaching profession.  Mrs. Childress’ passion for education and Cancer Awareness is evident in her writing. It derives from her professional and life experiences. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, Randolph Childress and their two sons Deven and Brandon.

 

Mrs. Childress’ mother and her Bennett sister Melody Hall were both diagnosed with cancer in 2006. Unfortunately, she lost her mother in 2010. Melody continues to fight with stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer. Every year, Mrs. Childress and her Bennett sisters walk for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk and raise money for the group they created; Melody’s Divas. The goal for this group is to foster a legacy for her now five year old daughter, Lauren Hall. It is a fun-filled weekend to honor their Bennett sister.

 

In experiencing the loss of her mother and standing on the front line in this battle with her sister friend, Mrs. Childress began to think about the children affected by parents battling this disease and a children’s book writer was born. Mrs. Childress uses language that a child can understand and her books empower children to feel helpful, brave and loving when faced with a parent diagnosed with cancer.