Kickstart National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by giving a Hand and Taking a Stand
Why a Handstand Challenge?
Because in one year 15,780 children will be diagnosed with cancer. 15,780 families’ lives will be turned upside down. 15,780 families will face the possibility of the unimaginable loss of a child. 15,780 children will have their childhood taken away from them. No time for handstands, no strength for handstands.
The handstand idea came from the Swifty Foundation’s founder, Mikey Gustafson. Prior to losing his life to childhood cancer, Mikey was a handstand champ. Handstands are a childish, fun thing to do. We want to prevent more children from losing their childhood by focusing attention on the lack of progress in treating childhood cancer. It is underfunded and under-resourced despite the fact that it is the number one disease-related cause of death in children.
Cancer turns our world upside down just like a handstand does and both require courage, strength, and perseverance. So please join us …
Give a Hand
Post about someone who exemplifies courage, compassion, or perseverance. Give them a shout out and nominate a handful of people to join in the challenge.
Take a Stand
Do a regular handstand or be as creative as you would like. Be sure to post online and nominate a handful of people to join in the challenge.
Social Media Templates & Resources
Go to your favorite social media channel and post a video of you doing a handstand or giving a hand. Make sure your post is marked as public so we can share to our page and recognize you!
Be sure to use hashtag
#Handstands4Cures
Try out our Facebook frames for your profile picture on your personal page.
If you would like to hold up a sign and dedicate your challenge to someone or something, click one of the signs above to download.
When you don’t know what to say …
Copy and paste the picture and paste into your social media channel.
Copy and paste the text below and paste into your social media channel.
I am taking the #handstand4cures challenge and I am challenging @Sarah, @John, and @Grace to take it on next! Join me to help stop cancer from stealing childhoods.
The Give a Hand, Take a Stand Challenge is in honor of September’s National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I’ve taken the challenge for the 15,780 children diagnosed with cancer each year. I challenge you to share this post and nominate a handful of people to partake in the Handstand Challenge! #Handstands4Cures
Cancer turns our world upside down just like a handstand does. They both require courage, strength, and perseverance. Help prevent more children from losing their childhood by focusing attention on the lack of progress in treating childhood cancer. Share this and nominate a handful of people to take the challenge with you! #Handstands4Cures
I am taking the #handstand4cures challenge and I am challenging @George, @Linda, and @Phoebe to take it on next! Join me to help stop cancer from stealing childhoods.
Give a HAND to people in your life who demonstrate courage, strength, or perseverance. Share this post and join the Give a Hand, Take a Stand Challenge. Let’s make a difference together, one hand at a time. #Handstands4Cures
I am taking the #handstand4cures challenge and I am challenging @Issac, @Raymond, and @Allison to take it on next! Join me to help stop cancer from stealing childhoods.
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In The News
Take the handstand challenge for Childhood Cancer Awareness month
Promising Therapeutic Target found for Medulloblastoma
Promising Therapeutic Target found for Medulloblastoma
In 2013 Michael Gustafson passed away, 5 years after his medulloblastoma diagnosis. Michael decided to donate his tissue to research in the hopes that other children would not experience the suffering of brain cancer. His decision gave him peace and purpose at the end of his life. This “Master Plan” of Michael’s became the inspiration for Gift from a Child.
Medulloblastoma is the most common type of pediatric brain cancer, accounting for 20% of diagnoses. There are four identified groups of this aggressive cancer, one of which is the sonic hedgehog (SHH) group. The SHH group is the most common form of medulloblastoma in patients less than three years old and overall accounts for 30% of all medulloblastomas.
In a recent breakthrough, researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have identified a new molecule specific to SHH medulloblastomas. This molecule could potentially be used for early detection and as a new therapeutic target. A scientific article on this finding was published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications in March, 2023.
The researchers merged publicly available genetic data from 175 samples of medulloblastoma tissue and looked for significantly expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) in each medulloblastoma classification group. CircRNA is a noncoding RNA that is believed to play a part in the development of different cancers and is seen as a good target for cancer drug discovery.
Researchers found a circRNA, known as circ_63706, that showed a significantly higher expression in the SHH group medulloblastomas. They transplanted medulloblastoma cells that did not express circ_63706 into the brains of rats. Those mice ultimately had significantly smaller tumors and prolonged survival when compared to mice with unmodified medulloblastoma.
Lipid metabolism, how the body burns fat, is known to be a key factor in tumor growth. Researchers found that when circ_63706 was not expressed, lipid metabolism increased. Lipid metabolism is toxic to cancer and ultimately leads to cancer cell death. This indicates the potential for a targeted therapy that blocks circ_63706 and causes tumor cells to die.
These findings represent a much needed step forward in changing the prognosis for medulloblastoma. This research would not have been possible without tissue samples and illustrates the immense impact of tissue donation.
Read more about this exciting breakthrough in Science Daily News.
Gift from a Child
Is a Swifty Foundation Program
Swifty is a recipient of the GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency
Gift from a Child
Is a Swifty Foundation Program
Swifty is a recipient of the GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency