Nancy Goodman and her husband, Michael Froman, lost their son Jacob at age 10 to cancer. Inspired by his memory, Nancy’s drive to create more hope for pediatric cancer patients and their families knows no bounds.

Under Nancy’s leadership, Kids vs. Cancer played a vital role in spurring passage of the Creating Hope Act in 2012, legislation that provides market-based incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs for childhood cancers. Another key initiative of the organization is a tissue donation program, which creates more opportunities for pediatric brain cancer investigation. Nancy also helped to rally many of the donors responsible for funding the first Stand Up To Cancer Dream Team, and the program has grown tremendously, awarding more than $14 million in grants in 2013.

Tisa Hughes experienced firsthand Nancy’s dedication to helping families affected by pediatric cancers. When Tisa’s son was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Nancy reached out, offering emotional support, scientific knowledge and connections to her network. Tisa says, “Our experiences over the past few years reinforce our gratitude to Nancy for the incredible work that she has done — both in forwarding the cause of pediatric cancer research at the national level but also in the day-to-day support and hope she provides to countless families like ours.”