Sue Matthews, along with her sister Andrea Cohane is the author of Paint Your Hair Blue a mother's longing to give enduring eloquence to her daughter's voice, to not let it go silent. Readers will come away from the book with a vivid understanding of how truly short and precious life is and a greater willingness to add more color as we go along.
Sue is President of the Taylor Matthews Foundation, a tay-bandz organization, which is a 501 C-3 founded by her then 11 year old daughter Taylor, who lost her battle with pediatric cancer at age 16. As a nationally recognized advocate for pediatric cancer awareness, Sue oversees all of the Foundation’s grant making, fundraising, event planning, and financial reporting, as well as collaborates with other cancer foundations, associations, and societies. The Taylor Matthews Foundation is at the forefront of new initiatives in awareness and continues to fund medical research at leading medical centers, with the hope of a brighter future for parents struggling with the needs of a sick child.
TMF continues to fight in Taylor’s honor and will never falter in their commitment to children with cancer. TMF is keeping Taylor’s spirit, her thirst to make change, and her dedication to help others alive. While her life was tragically cut short, her mark on the world lives on.
Sue is a member of the Children’s Council at Columbia Medical University Center, the National Association of Professional Women, the National Organization of Italian American Women, the NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Public Accountants. She holds a B.A. in Accounting from Franklin and Marshall College and is a CPA and former Senior Manager at Deloitte.
Sue lives in New York City with her husband Bob Matthews and their daughters, Ryan and Corey. Sue hopes to fulfill Taylor’s dearest wish that someday no child will ever have to face cancer, the leading cause of death by disease in children and adolescents in the USA.
Andrea Cohane is a Board Member, advocate and advisor of Conquering Kidz Cancer, founded by her niece, Taylor Matthews. Andrea holds a B.S. in Economics from Cornell University and a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. She was a business litigator at Clifford Chance, LLP in New York city and practiced at Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice in Charlotte, North Carolina. Andrea also worked in the Westchester County District Attorney’s office in their Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Department and continued advocating for such victims through Womble Carlyle’s pro bono program. Andrea resided in London for three years where she was actively involved in Southbank International School’s music department and programs to assimilate Americans into British culture.
Andrea resides in Charlotte with her husband Bill and their children, Samantha and Sofia. She is actively involved in her local community, including volunteer work in both Charlotte Christian’s drama department where she heads up the Cast Care Committee, and Charlotte Country Day’s lower school. She enjoys traveling, writing and playing the piano.
