Board of Directors
Frank Milano, CPA & Lauren Milano, OTR/L (retired)
The proud parents of three incredible young men, Lucas, Alex and Tristan, Lauren and Frank are the co-founders of the TJM Side Out Foundation and currently serve as co-chairs of the Board of Directors. Both were born and raised in New York, relocating to South Florida in 2016 for Frank’s job. They are extremely grateful to the entire Nicklaus Children’s organization for the care they provided to Tristan and the entire family during his fight with Osteosarcoma. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Nicklaus community and future pediatric cancer patients and their families through TJMSOF.
Frank is an avid reader, history buff, baseball fanatic and converted dog lover. He has enjoyed a 30-year career in professional services, having traveled all over the world to serve many preeminent organizations. He was the least prepared in the Milano family for Tristan’s battle with cancer as he has a middle-school level understanding of basic biology and gets queasy at the sight of blood. His contributions to Tristan’s treatment mostly involved driving to and from Miami, picking up prescriptions, and asking thousands of questions.
Lauren is the person in the Milano House who gets it all done. A talented tennis player and all-around fitness junkie, she was often seen logging steps in the halls of Nicklaus Children’s during Tristan’s treatment. With a master’s degree in occupational therapy from NYU and a long career as a pediatric OT in multiple settings, Lauren is the opposite of Frank when it comes to understanding medical terms and being able to translate medical diagnoses.
Mike Battista
Born and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Mike is a self-described “car junkie,” able to identify the year, make and model of just about anything with four wheels. This passion along with a passion for leading teams and improving any process or solving any problem have led to his having progressive senior leadership positions at one of the largest waste management companies in the world. His career took him and his family from Canada to South Florida in 2017 where they met the Milano family.
In December 2022, Mike was diagnosed with bladder cancer. With the support of his wife Shannon and son Jake, as well as his extended family and friends, he beat cancer after over a year of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, immunotherapy and multiple hospitalizations. Mike is looking forward to helping the Foundation in its mission to help pediatric cancer patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and their families make cancer lose more often.
MichelLe Silverman
Michelle is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in Florida, New York, and New Jersey, and an active realtor based in South Florida, where she has resided for nearly twenty years. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Michelle brings a strong background in law, real estate, and community engagement to her role with the TJM Foundation through Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Michelle’s commitment to the foundation’s mission is deeply personal. Having experienced the impact of cancer within her own family, she understands the emotional and logistical challenges that families face when caring for a loved one with a serious illness. Her passion for providing meaningful support to others is at the heart of her involvement.
In 2017, Michelle was fortunate to meet the Milano family and has the deepest admiration and respect for their strength, resilience, and dedication to helping others. She is honored to serve on the board and to support the incredible work being done through the TJM Foundation.
Michelle is happily married to Ryan Silverman and is the proud mom of Hudson Silverman and their beloved four-legged companion, Waffles.
Liz Arnott
Liz Arnott is a dedicated pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 25 years of experience working with children with disabilities. Her passion for supporting children extends beyond her professional life—on weekends, she volunteers with Hoops for All, a basketball program that gives children with physical and developmental challenges the opportunity to learn and enjoy the game in a supportive environment.
Liz is also an active member of her local church, where she has taught religious education classes and serves as a Eucharistic Minister. At the heart of everything she does is her family—she is the proud mother of four amazing children: Sarah (29), Matt (19), Sean (18), and Mary (14). Liz and her husband, Bob, have lived in Rockville Centre, NY for the past 22 years and are deeply committed to their community and helping others.
In addition to her professional and volunteer work, Liz has been a devoted caregiver. She supported both her sister Maria and, more recently, her mother through their successful battles with cancer, offering care through surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and the emotional toll of treatment. Her firsthand experience has given her deep empathy and insight into the challenges faced by patients and their families.
Liz first met Lauren and Frank in 2003, when she and Lauren worked together at a preschool. It was through them that she met her future husband, Bob Arnott. Since then, their families have shared many holidays, celebrations, and special memories together.
Advisory Board
Peter Milano, MD (Chair)
Peter (or Uncle Peter to Tristan) is a board-certified general surgeon who completed his residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The proud father of Hudson and Cameron and husband to Karina, his interests run the gamut from entrepreneurship to camping. His twenty-plus year career in medicine and hospital administration make him an enormous asset to the TJMSOF Advisory Board.
Maggie Eidson Fader, MD
Dr. Fader is the Medical Director of the Sarcoma and Solid Tumors Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and the head coach of Tristan’s medical team. From the moment the news of his diagnosis was shared, she worked diligently to begin his treatment, constantly adjusting infusion dates, altering medications to head off the chemotherapy side-effects, and calling new plays (like switching to outpatient chemo) to get Tristan to the finish line as quickly and effectively as possible. Tristan considers Dr. Fader the G.O.A.T., the highest praise a teenager can impose on anyone. For Dr. Fader’s complete bio click here
Thomas Utset-Ward, MD, MBA
Dr. Utset-Ward was the very first person from Nicklaus to contact the Milano family about Tristan’s tumor and outline what would become his treatment plan. As Tristan’s surgeon and an integral member of his care team, he worked tirelessly from that very first phone call to plan, coordinate and perform the limb-salvage surgery that would remove Tristan’s tumor and get him back to doing the things he loves. Tristan considers the type of surgery Dr. Utset-Ward performs (including his own) to be “sick,” and is considering a career in orthopedics as a result of their relationship. For Dr. Utset-Ward’s complete bio click here