The plight of young oncology patients was brought to Grant’s attention during his senior year at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, when he befriended Kendall Chalmers, a young Husker fan with leukemia from Grant’s home state of Missouri. To help prepare Kendall for the loss of his hair during treatment, Grant, Jason Peter and Jared Tomich included Kendall in their pre-game ritual of shaving their heads and presented him with a coveted honorary Blackshirt jersey. His concern for pediatric cancer patients, through that first encounter in Nebraska, has grown into the Foundation that bears his name.
The Grant Wistrom Foundation was created in July of 2002. The Foundation strives to provide pediatric cancer patients a space in time to be just children. At a foundation event we provide a safe, supportive and happy environment for them to regain a sense of self, a joy of life and the feeling that there are no limits to what they can accomplish. They are able to connect with other children who understand their world as both a child and a patient. Friendships are created through these common bonds.
