Our Class of 2020
In the past, May always meant tulips, breaking out the lawn furniture and graduations. Covid-19 hasn’t stopped the tulips or kept us from sitting outside (albeit 6 feet apart), but for the Class of 2020 graduations have been cancelled or hopefully, only postponed. In the meantime, there is a lot of sadness, disappointment and uncertainty…
Light That Seeps Through a Broken Heart
I can’t tell you how often people are dumbfounded on how I can so enjoy working with a pediatric brain cancer foundation, especially one focused on post-mortem tissue donation. I guess they imagine the sadness and loss that these families endure and assume it permeates their lives and my work. That couldn’t be further from…
Growing During Isolation – And the smell of fresh baked bread!
Fear, uncertainty, disruption, crisis these are the words swirling around us these days. It’s hard not give in to despair. I can’t stop this virus, however I can share what I learned while caring for my son, Michael when he was stuck at home sick with cancer.
Why Swifty matters?
As a Kennedy Junior High school counselor, I have met hundreds of families and thousands of students! My first introduction to the Gustafson Family began with Ian. He proved to be a fabulous student and a kind, caring young man! Then along came Michael and Bridget…of course, I had heard about Michael’s cancer diagnosis and…
Young Investigator Award
Swifty is proud to partner with Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help fund their Young Investigators Innovation grant. Dr. Eric Raabe’s from Johns Hopkins is researching the most devastating kind of Medulloblastoma, MYC-driven medullo. The good news is Dr. Raabe’s lab has been successful with finding an oral drug with better brain penetration that will kill…
Press Release: Gift from a Child
For Immediate Release March 13, 2019 Swifty Foundation Launches Research Initiative Called Gift from a Child WOODRIDGE, Ill.—Swifty Foundation, a pediatric brain cancer research foundation based in Woodridge, Ill., has announced the launch of a new research initiative called Gift from a Child. The mission of Gift from a Child is to increase post-mortem brain…
Dear Silas
Dear Silas, I want you to know your very last wish is happening right now. There is a team of researchers, doctors, and specialists who have assembled. They are working to make a difference in the world of brain cancer. I don’t think any of us could have imagined the impact your donation will have….
Prairie Elementary School Raises Over $4,000
Hi everyone my name is Betsy, I want to share the importance of pediatric cancer and why it should get more attention. People say the money should be spent on research for adults, what they don’t realize is that kids become adults. But that can’t happen if they are dying from cancer because their drug…
She Did Not Lose Her Battle
We recently shared this blog from Libby Kranz on our Gift from a Child website. Libby Kranz is one of our partners in Gift from a Child. She was kind enough to share her thoughts and and the recording of an emotional interview she granted to a local TV station about the loss of her…
Let’s Get This Done
Our good friend Nancy Goodman, founder and executive director of Kids v Cancer recently had a blog published by The Cancer Letter. It was Nancy who guided us through Michael’s decision to donate his tissue for research. She continues to be an unstoppable proponent for advancing pediatric cancer research. Excerpt from The Cancer Letter Blog:…
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