I cried when Dr. Michael Taylor emailed me to say, “We’ve figured out the origin of medulloblastoma group 3 and 4 … and how to prevent it!”
I never thought I’d hear the words, prevent medulloblastoma (MB), the tumor that took our boy away. Michael’s post-mortem tissue went to Dr. Taylor’s lab, we’ve funded his research into curing MB, but to prevent it! What better way to fulfill Michael’s wish that “No other child go through what I did” than by preventing it altogether?
Patti – Michael’s Mom
Swifty is raising $300,000 with this year’s Annual Appeal to Pave a Path to Prevention
What you need to know:
Medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumor is subdivided into 4 groups. This breakthrough will only prevent MB group 3 (Michael’s type) and group 4. We now know MB is present at birth, it’s always in the same location of the newborn brain, and it appears as a polyp not normally present in a newborn. Eliminate the polyp and we can for the first time prevent the disease from ever occurring. It’s possible, but it’s going to take time, big brains, innovative engineering, and big bucks. We are raising $300,000 to fund Step 1 of the 5-step strategy outlined on the graphic below.
We will bring cancer screening and prevention to children. Your donation will open a new chapter in MB research so one day it’s a disease like scurvy, rickets, and bubonic plague that is only read about in textbooks and never seen in hospitals. I’d like to live in that world, wouldn’t you?
Campaign Goal: $300,000
Amount Raised: $300,525
100% of your donation will fund pediatric brain cancer research. All Swifty Foundation administration expenses are paid by the Gustafson family.