From our very first breaths, Mikey was my teammate and taught me we’re better off working together
I guess it all starts with this picture, two babies lying together. What you can’t see is that we are lying on a small scale, born so tiny and premature that when our weights were added together, we totaled all of 7.5 pounds. From our very first breaths, Mikey was my teammate and taught me…
January 2021 Reflections
It’s January 13th, exactly 2 months since we started this trial back in November, joking about it being a “Novel Approach” to start a fundraising campaign on Friday the 13th. However, there was nothing unlucky about it because we SURPASSED our goal, raising $272,977 dollars thanks to your generosity and support. So the TNF Immunotherapy Trial…
Because of Swifty’s Post-Mortem Tissue Program
Swifty is working to give more families a chance to make the life-giving choice that Michael made with his “Master Plan.” After a child succumbs to brain cancer, donating tissue advances scientific research and can provide consolation for a family during their darkest hour. Today less than 5 percent of families are donating, but when…
Whoop! Whoop!!
Whoop! Whoop!!! The check is in the mail! Our first installment for the Tissue Navigator at Stanford has been mailed and Dr. Monje is planning to have that position filled in January. Thank you for helping us reach our Annual Appeal goal and making Swifty’s California Dream a reality! Alas, do not worry if you…
Swifty Family Forum a Rousing Success
I think you can imagine the trepidation I felt going to a two-day meeting of families all of whom had lost a child to brain cancer. My stomach hurt at the thought of facing that much pain in one room. Guess what? We laughed, we cried, we shared 3 things everyone should know about our…
Sing Along
I laughed so hard watching this video as we re-wrote the lyrics to California Dreamin’ for this email. For the full, groovy 60’s experience listen to the Mamas and the Papas as you sing along to our new verse. All the gifts aren’t in (all the gifts aren’t in)But I’m here to say (but I’m…
Gifts that Benefit You and Swifty
Swifty invites you to explore year-end gift giving options that are good for you and good for pediatric brain cancer research! Donating Your IRA Distributions Some of our more “seasoned” donors have found that giving a gift directly from their IRA is an easy and efficient way to support Swifty. Individuals who are 70 ½…
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…
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…
Kayleigh Eisenstein – Tissue Navigator
You know how some things are sweeter because you had to wait so long to get them? Something you dreamt up, worked hard for, had to convince others about? When the planning, waiting, anticipating is finally over and it finally comes to fruition the feeling is indescribable. That’s how we felt on Friday when David…
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