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Collaborative Centers of Excellence

Establishing a Swifty funded tissue navigator in Dr. Monje’s lab at Stanford completes a coast-to-coast network that began in 2016 when Swifty helped start the post mortem tissue donation program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Last week I told you how the tissue navigator will allow Dr. Monje to focus more of her…

posted on November 24, 2018
Annual Appeal ● News ● Tissue Donation
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California Dream

Today is Michael’s birthday and the kickoff of Swifty’s Annual Appeal, and so I’d like to tell you about our California Dream. It’s a dream that takes us to Michelle Monje’s lab at Stanford … I’m going to get all STEM on you now, so get ready! You may remember from past years, that Michael’s…

posted on November 16, 2018
Annual Appeal ● From The Heart ● News ● Tissue Donation
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Memories From Cross Country

In seventh grade cross country, our coaches assigned everyone with the task of running at least 30 minutes a day over the weekend. On a Saturday morning, I was running along, and I see a dad and his son slowly jogging towards me. I get closer and realize it’s my classmate, Michael Gustafson. I didn’t…

posted on October 29, 2018
News
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CBTTC Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas

You may have missed this announcement; lost in the shuffle of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Maybe you saw the announcement and didn’t quite understand the importance of the launch. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas  is a major step forward in advancing collaboration and accelerating research. We are proud to be part of this organization and…

posted on October 15, 2018
Collaboration ● News ● Partner Blogs ● Research
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I Want To Talk About Michael

Wow, I cannot believe that Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is finally coming to a close! Most of you know that helping kids with cancer is the passion that fuels every decision I make and action I take. I am years away from (hopefully) becoming a pediatric oncologist, but I have the power to advocate and…

posted on October 1, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News ● Youth Board Member
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Cancer is a Journey, Not a Battle

I cringe every time I read or hear someone is “fighting cancer or battling cancer”. This language implies a war, which means there is a winner and a loser. I’m betting you know someone who died from cancer and you also know that person was anything but a loser. I realize it’s difficult to know…

posted on September 19, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News
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When I Think of Michael

When I think of Michael, many of the images I have of him are often frozen in the seventh grade. That school year, by some stroke of luck, he, Bridget and I all had lockers next to each other. Everyday when I got to my locker, I could always count on Michael to greet me…

posted on September 12, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News
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The Misleading Statistics

When I hear 90% cure rate for childhood cancers I want to scream or possibly throw up!  That stat is SO misleading.  That stat is talking about surviving 5 years.   Living with cancer for five years IS NOT CURING cancer!  Especially if you are 6 years old when you are diagnosed.  This steers research…

posted on September 7, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News
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Reflections On My Hike

In the summer of 2015, before starting my third year at Pomona College, I decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. More specifically, I decided that a long walk along the western geological spine of the continental United States from Mexico to Canada was a goal that could not be left to slowly erode over…

posted on August 27, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News
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Hands

Looking down at these hands of mine I see calluses rimmed with dirt dotting their landscapes, cuts and scabs joining my mountainous knuckles to the valleys in the topography of my palms, and vast clearing of exposed flesh encircling my nails. I see bloodied skin dangling from my right pointer finger from the time it…

posted on August 20, 2018
Advocacy ● Family Experiences ● From The Heart ● News
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Michael Gustafson created the Swifty Foundation before his death at age 15 to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research so "they can use me to find a cure"

 

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