Personal Fundraiser

Mindy was a strong, smart, athletic, accomplished woman, mom, sister, daughter and friend who had been living with cancer for more than 16 years, although you could never tell because she was always living life to the fullest.  She passed away on March 26, 2021, at the age of 56. She devoted her life to her beautiful twins, Luke and Hailey, as well as filling it with adventures like skiing, traveling, reading, sporting events, and so much more. Her family, extended family, and her vast friend network all desperately miss her.  

Mindy was BRCA 1 positive, and the goal of her fund is to fuel research that will improve earlier detection and cancer prevention for those with BRCA genetic mutations, as well as all other improvements in therapies for ovarian cancer. 

Early detection is key to treating and curing ovarian cancer. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine are working to understand who is at elevated risk for these diseases and how we can tailor treatment based on specific genetic mutations to make care more effective. 

From developing cancer vaccines to improving early-detection methods, our researchers are committed to pursuing the next breakthroughs that will improve outcomes for patients. Learn more about ovarian cancer research at Fred Hutch. 

Contributions to The Mindy Fund help our teams investigate new ideas, gather data, and make important discoveries that increase our understanding of ovarian cancer and advance prevention and treatment for patients around the world. 

“Gynecologic cancer research receives a tiny fraction of the federal funding it should, based on incidence and mortality. Philanthropy allows us to pursue innovative approaches to clinical trials and give new hope to patients with rare tumors.” 

— Elizabeth Swisher, MD, co-leader, Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Program, Fred Hutch; professor, UW Medicine