There is still time to sneak in that holiday gift with impact or end-of-year donation! FYI, Consano is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and our employer ID number (EIN) is 46-0745383 (just in case you need it for tax deduction purposes!). Here are some ways to give at www.consano.org:

1. Donate to a research project which has the potential to lead to improved treatments and outcomes for patients.
2. Support a friend or family member’s Honor Fund.
3. Start your own Honor Fund in honor or in memory of a loved one.
4. Donate to The Hope Fund, our general fund that supports research in a variety of health categories.
5. Donate to the Consano platform to help us continue to direct 100% of research donations to the research that matters to you.

Thank you for all of your very generous support in 2017! Happy holidays and sending extra love to those of you who are missing loved ones! #healitforward

After my breast cancer diagnosis in 2011, my life catapulted from life “BC” to “New Normal.” In talking with other patients and families, I’ve found that it’s difficult not to be changed by facing down time and mortality. However, few people I’ve met have taken this “new normal” to the extreme of Andy Woods, our 2017 “Ripples of Hope” award winner.

When Andrew Woods’ oldest daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive form of childhood kidney cancer at the age of 4, he didn’t realize that his mission to save Stellablue would lead him down a new path in life. “It became my personal mission to attempt to provide more-promising treatment options, not only for my daughter, but also for any child suffering with a rare cancer.” Andrew, a contractor by trade, decided to shift his professional focus to cancer research and after a summer internship with Dr. Charles Keller at the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, moved with his family to Portland to work full time in the lab. Andy used Consano’s platform to raise the seed funding for his early research which then led to two large grants that continue to support his work.

Andy continues to inspire us with his work to help kids like Stella fighting rare cancers. Thanks for healing it forward, Andy! You can support Andy’s crowdfunding project here.

What a night! Team Consano is filled with gratitude for your support at Consano PDX! We raised $115,000, which supports the majority of our operating expenses for the year. Thank you for your generosity, for believing in our mission, for bringing joy to our lives, and for healing it forward with us!

We presented our 2017 Ripples of Hope award to an amazing father, patient advocate and now cancer researcher! When Andrew Woods’ oldest daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive form of childhood kidney cancer at the age of 4, he didn’t realize that his mission to save Stellablue would lead him down a new path in life. “It became my personal mission to attempt to provide more-promising treatment options, not only for my daughter, but also for any child suffering with a rare cancer.” Andrew, a contractor by trade, decided to shift his professional focus to cancer research and after a summer internship with Dr. Charles Keller at the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, moved with his family to Portland to work full time in the lab. Andy used Consano’s platform to raise the seed funding for his early research which then led to two large grants that continue to support his work.

Consano PDX is this Saturday!

We hope you will join us for a night of great food, spirits, silent auction and inspiration this Saturday! This FUNdraiser raises nearly all of Consano’s operating expenses for the year, enabling us to continue directing 100% of every project and Honor Fund donation to medical research. You make it possible! 

There are still a few tickets left for purchase here: https://consano.tofinoauctions.com/consanopdx

You can purchase tickets at the door, but the price will go up!

Here is a preview of our live auction packages:

Luxury Nuevo Vallarta Mexico Getaway

How would you like to spend 7 nights at the Grand Luxxe Resort in Nuevo Vallarta? This expansive space features a gourmet kitchen with oven, breakfast bar, wine bar, dining table for 10 people, and living room with LCD TV. Has two terraces, one with a dipping pool and outdoor dining area. Features two bedrooms with king-size beds, and two bedrooms with double beds, as well as four-and-a-half bathrooms and two Jacuzzi tubs. Accommodates 12 adults, 2 kids.

Seattle Mariners behind the scenes tour, Spring Training 2018

Are you ready to go on a behind the scenes tour of Spring Training in Peoria, AZ? You and a small group of your friends will attend a morning meeting on the art of player evaluation, development and roster building with the front office and/or scouting staff, introductions with the Major League staff, full guided tour of the facilities, field passes for the day’s workout and ML batting practice, including a meet & greet and photos with select players. Following the on-field session you will receive tickets to that day’s game and some Mariners swag to show off the colors at game time!

I never could have imagined that the worst day of my life, the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer, would lead to the creation of a crowdfunding platform that has now raised $1,000,000 to support medical research! I am so grateful for your continued support, belief in our mission, honesty in sharing your stories and help with spreading the word about this grassroots organization. You have shown me that while we often can’t control our health (my rogue cells are a testament to that!), we can control the way we use our stories to impact others. You inspire me to “heal it forward” every day.

Now that I’ve taken a moment to jump in the air with joy (and maybe cry a little), it’s time to get back to work. There’s so much more to do, but I know that together, we can do big (hard!) things!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

A Montana man, tile contractor, made his way to Beaverton to help find a treatment for his daughter’s rare childhood cancer.

In 2011, Andy Woods was on top of the world. He owned a residential tile business, just bought his first home — a new log cabin — and his second child was born.

And then the unthinkable happened. Stellablue, his seemingly healthy 4-year-old daughter, was diagnosed with a rare and, more often than not, fatal childhood cancer. She was diagnosed with advanced stage anaplastic tumor, falling in the 8 percent of children for whom chemotherapy is not effective. The treatment options were dismal.

Read the full article here.

Often when we go through health crises, we feel alone. By sharing your story, you are not only providing a call-to-action for your community, but showing others that they are not alone in their experiences. We are continually inspired by the stories people share and channel into a force for change.

Is there someone you know who has courageously shared their story, inspiring you and impacting your life? Nominate them for the Consano Ripples of Hope Award. We will present the award during our Consano PDX Portland event this October 21st.

Our inaugural winner was The Kalanithi Family. Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of the The New York Times bestselling book “When Breath Becomes Air,” has impacted so many as he honestly grappled with the uncertainty of time and how to live — and die — well. Paul’s legacy lives on in his adorable daughter Cady and also in the words that have meant so much to so many. Dr. Lucy Kalanithi attend the event last year to accept the award on behalf of her family, and signed copies of “When Breath Becomes Air.”

We are excited to honor another amazing person or family at this year’s event. Nominate your inspiration now! Nominations close at midnight on April 30th.