Page 1 - Impact Report August 2022_Neat

Dear Friend of Swifty,

It’s always daunting and yet fun to look back over the year and create our Impact Report. The last
piece written is this letter, and I laughed as I did so, because looking over all we have done I thought,
“No WONDER I feel so dang tired!”

My hope as you read this is you will feel the opposite… invigorated, inspired and excited by all that we
have accomplished, the goals we have set and the amazing people we get to do it all with. And always,
always remembering the boy who started us on this path and the families we aim to help in pursuing
Michael’s Master Plan.

For the past four years, we have been building the infrastructure to make post-mortem tissue donation
possible anywhere in the country. Gift from a Child is that program. We will now focus our time and
resources toward raising awareness and changing behavior within the pediatric cancer community.
Since the fall of 2021, we have been carefully planning our strategy for the next three years. Open these
pages to read all about it.

You will meet my new Co-Director, Deborah du Vair, find out why high school speech class still haunts me,
and learn the outcome of a study we funded three years ago. That study used Michael’s tissue and spoiler
alert: it has created a new path for treating recurrent medulloblastoma! We also highlight a big goal
attained and continue our Soul Food series, this one about GFAC’s amazing Family Companions.

Every year in Sept. we put our Childhood Cancer awareness sign on the lawn. I can’t
believe this is the 10th year we’ve done that. We do this work so one day September
just means apple cider, leaves falling down, cooler temperatures and football
season… no gold ribbons in sight.

Until there is a cure,

Patti Gustafson
Co-Director
Co-Director