Who We Are
Empowering Brain Cancer Research Through Tissue Donation
Gift from a Child is a national initiative supported by families who have lost children to brain cancer, private foundations, researchers and medical professionals. It currently receives its funding from the Swifty Foundation. Gift from a Child’s mission is to increase post-mortem pediatric brain tissue donations through advocacy as well as the education of families enduring the worst … the loss of a child. We have formed partnerships with the best researchers and medical providers who value information and data sharing. These strategic partnerships will accelerate breakthrough cancer research, improve treatments and ultimately CURE childhood brain cancer.
Gift from a Child’s Strategic Partnerships:
Centers of Excellence
Centers of Excellence are regional sites for coordination, processing and storage of donated tissue. The centers work as a collaborative and example of best practice in family and patient care.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie
Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Angela Waanders
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Jane Minturn &
Dr. Mateusz Koptyra
New York Presbyterian
Hospital-Weill
Cornell Medicine
Dr. Mark Souweidane and
Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield
Stanford University Medical Center
Dr. Michelle Monje
Children’s National Hospital
Dr. Javad Nazarian
Dr. Miriam Bornhurst
Orlando Health
Arnold Palmer Hospital
for Children
Dr. Amy Smith and
Dr. Julia Hegert
Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN)

CBTN is currently the planet’s largest pediatric brain tumor database, including tissue and genomic data. It offers open-access, freely available data to researchers around the world. Tissue donated through the Centers of Excellence is stored at both the Center as well as the CBTN bio-repository.
CBTN Operations at
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Jennifer Mason
Director of Operations, CBTN
Our Funding Partners – Helping Us Grow
Gift from a Child
Is a Swifty Foundation Program
Swifty is a recipient of the GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency