#BeatGrowLive Together

As a nonprofit… we are scared.  But we aren’t alone. Over this uncertain period of time, we all need to share ways we can come together, share ideas to help those around us and share simple gestures to spread kindness and smiles during a very challenging time.  We are taking our Beat. Grow. Live mantra past the cancer space and challenge everyone help our neighbors. We are in this together and will #beatgrowlive.

If you have ideas or already on some volunteer projects with your kids… we want to hear about them!

  • Spread Love:  Post a picture of your favorite nurse, doctor or child life specialist with a note of how much you appreciate them.  We are all hunkering down at home, but those who care for us are working day and night. A little extra love and smiles go a long way. We love our LCH family and want them to know how much their passion means to us.
  • Donate Blood:  if you are healthy and able, drop into your local Oneblood donor center to help replenish the quickly depleting blood supply in your community. Find a donor center near you. 
  • Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte:  Make a donation to help cover the added cost of meals and other house operations during this time of heightened need. Unfortunately, they have had to halt their volunteer meal teams who cook dinner at the house for the families, but are open to having catered meals delivered. If your business or small group wants to support in this way, contact them to coordinate. At the same time, you would be helping a local restaurant.  
  • Order takeout from Jersey Mikes through their app.  Double your take out and drop it off on the doorstep of your favorite elder, first responder or a family in need. Download Jersey Mike’s App
  • Reach out to other local Charlotte nonprofits like Claire’s Army and Go Jen Go.  These organizations provide direct assistance to cancer families. Inquire if they have any immediate family needs.  Clairesarmy.org & gojengo.org

We will all get through this trying time. Many of us are feeling alone. But the good news is even though we are alone, we are together. In times like these, we tend to see the true heroes emerge and the genuine kindness of humanity. Let’s pull together to support each other. 

Our team is choosing to do good in whatever way we can. We are choosing to help our community and to Beat Grow Live. 

💜 Much Love,

ISF

3rd Annual Isabella’s Birthday Wish Fundraiser

We featured Brinn and her family during our September Through My Eyes Campaign, learn more about Brinn’s cancer journey.

Isabella (L), Brinn (R)

It’s our 3rd annual Isabella’s Birthday Wish Fundraiser and we can’t think of a better gift than to honor another child’s wish on what would have been Isabella’s 15th birthday in the month of March.

We are excited for one of our cancer warriors, as she heads to Disney World to meet Minnie!  Brinn Andrew, 2 ½ years old, is coming to the end of her neuroblastoma treatment plan and continues to thrive. What better way to celebrate than to head to Disney with her family!

Over the last 2 years, you have helped bring so much happiness to kids like Sydney and Madison.

If Isabella were here today, we know it would be her wish to pass this experience on to another cancer fighter. Make-A-Wish granted Isabella her wish to go to Disney and gave her the most joyful days of her life. Help us do the same for a kid like Isabella and Brinn.

Donations of all values will allow us to collectively reach our $6,000 fundraising goal and will be gifted to the Make-A-Wish foundation to go towards a child’s wish. 

FEATURED WISH CHILD:

  • Wish Kid: Brinn
  • Age: 2 ½ 
  • Illness: Neuroblastoma
  • Wish: Disney World to meet Minnie
  • Favorite Things: Brinn is a daddy’s girl and loves all things pink, sparkles, and anything girly! She also loves Minnie Mouse and bunnies (she has a TON of stuffed ones😊). Lucky Charms and waffles are her favorite food.

New Decade. New Look.

New decade. New look. ISF is evolving and growing.  Just like Isabella would be if she were still here. She would be thinking about her future, getting ready to drive, maybe even getting a job… she’d be growing up. 

And The Isabella Santos Foundation is too.  We are beyond excited about the direction ISF is heading. Every detail from our logo and the colors we use, to our mission and our giving program is evolving with intention and purpose behind every element.   

Hello new logo…

As we evolve as a foundation and honestly as a team, we are feeling a little emotional as we say goodbye to our little girl logo. She has been with us from the beginning and she has shown up in all that we have done to get to this point. 

Over 12 years ago we started with our first logo, an innocent and childlike stick girl, a simple representation of Isabella as she was first diagnosed with cancer. What started out as a stick figure little girl in which Isabella could easily draw and color, became a symbol of her legacy. 

In the beginning it was only about her.  That simple logo moved and shaped into a life of its own.  We have seen her running, drawing and perched up proud at every event and fundraiser and has occupied a front row spot on everything we would print.  Our little girl evolved to a ‘Girl on the World’ because that is how we saw Isabella.  And while It started with her, she is still changing the world. But as we grow, we have realized it has become about others. Others just like her.

It was Isabella’s dream to “Beat cancer, grow hair, and live my dreams.” ISF was founded in her name and dedicates itself to expanding its impact to others, so kids with rare cancers have a fighting chance. It has become about all of them. It is so they can run, draw and take a front row spot at their favorite event. Isabella is the legacy and will always be our little girl. In order to continue changing the world…she would want our focus to be on them.

Updated mission, updated purpose…

You never know you need a foundation like ISF, until it’s too late. As parents focus on fighting for their child, we are working to bring change.  

Over the past 12 years ISF has granted nearly $4 million toward expanding the scope of research and treatment, and supporting families dealing with cancer in a variety of ways.

  • $1.9M+ donated to Levine Children’s (tag)
  • $1.2M+ donated to National Pediatric Cancer Trials & Studies
  • $500K+ donated in Family Support

Our relentless pursuit to help kids Beat Cancer, Grow Hair and Live Their Dreams in Isabella’s honor requires tremendous support from the community and from our donors. Our vision is to inspire a 360 degree impact for kids fighting rare cancers… from diagnosis, to treatment and ultimately, to survivorship.

Introducing the Beat. Grow. Live. Targeted Giving Program which will give you the ability to directly support how you want to impact the fight against pediatric cancer. Whether you have a tie to a specific cancer, a strong feeling to help fund a trial in tribute of a loved one or simply believe in donating to give pediatric cancer lasting change. Whatever speaks to you, we want you to feel the impact of your donation.

Beat Cancer, Investing in Rare Pediatric Cancer Research, 70% of our Mission

Grow Hair, Improving Trials & Studies, 20% of our Mission

Live My Dreams, Supporting Families Affected by Cancer, 10% of our Mission

In Honor of You, DJM

Madison, I wish I could be naming all your new stuffed animals with you right now, so instead I just bought a flamingo and unicorn Squishmallow that I can hold every night. 

Madison was the kind of person that people meet once and are immediately connected to. She was a kid that impacted more in her 7 years than some people do in a lifetime. She had the sweetest voice you have ever heard. What I would do to hear, “Ms. Meredith, I love you”  just one more time.

Then I think about Laura (ironically my mom’s name), Riley (ironically my middle name), and Mickey who are the most loving, giving, selfless, and determined family I ever met in Charlotte. The kind of family I would want to have one day. How could this happen to them? 

It doesn’t make sense and we will never stop missing you, but we are taking action for you and your family. I’m on the ISF board and will be part of the team focusing on raising funds for osteosarcoma trials. We are going to make sure that we find a cure for kids like you with rare pediatric cancers — all in honor of you, DJ M. 🎶  

We used to dance to “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana every time she came into Seacrest Studios (we got some pretty incredible moves I must say so). A pretty perfect song for both of us, because there are no limits to how far I’ll go to fight for you and to find a cure for osteosarcoma. #TeamMadison and #TeamISF are behind you forever. 

Together we can help kids Beat Cancer, Grow Hair, and Live Their Dreams.

Love,

Meredith, ISF Board Member

Tribute. Legacy. Honor

This picture was taken on the morning of December 23, 2019 as we presented $650,000 to the Levine Children’s oncology team.  This particular morning was incredibly special to me for several reasons, not only because of the big dollar signs.

Many of you know, I lost my mom suddenly on November 3rd, to ovarian cancer. The holidays were thrown right on top of that, so these last few months have rubbed my family raw. The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming with almost $10,000 donated to ISF in honor of my Mom.  Amid so much pain and grief, each donation brought a little unexpected joy to our broken hearts.

My family was in town for the holidays, so I asked my Dad to go with the team up to the hospital to present this check.  Afterall, almost $10,000 of that check included all of Mom’s tributes we received at the end of the year. I also thought it would be great to show him the place and the people I work so passionately for, day in and day out. Dad was thrilled and asked if we could head up a little early to visit with Merritt and her parents since they were in clinic that morning.

Why did my Dad want to visit with Merritt and her family?  He wanted to personally say ‘Thank You’ to them for attending my Mom’s Celebration of Life.   To say, ‘Thank You’ for driving 10+ hours round trip across the state for a woman they have never met. To say ‘Thank You’ for honoring her and paying tribute to her. And to say ‘Thank You’ for supporting us. It was so thoughtful that they took the time to support our family during such a difficult time. 

Thinking back to December 23rd as being incredibly special, is an understatement. For me it signified strength, healing, love, guidance, family, encouragement, lasting legacy, change and so much more.  A full circle moment for us celebrating my Mom’s life in a special way and giving my Dad the opportunity to say ‘Thank You’ to a cancer family I support… that is now supporting us. In hindsight, it would have meant the world if my Dad was in the picture with us, but just his being there meant everything.  

Tribute. Legacy. Honor… all words you will hear us say A LOT this year at ISF.  We are so excited for what’s to come, because every move we make in 2020 will be in honor of someone special.  We want to help turn all the pain into change for kids fighting cancer.  

Together we can help kids Beat Cancer, Grow Hair,  and Live Their Dreams.

Much Love,

Rachel, ISF Marketing Director