Sophie
The heart of it all.A 14-year-old comedian in training who has never met a dad joke she didn't love. Proud honorary Trader Joe's Crew Manager, Barbie collector, and the owner of one seriously good throwing arm.
Our Story
The day the map burned, we drew a new one.
I'm Tracy Ryan: a mom, a founder, a storyteller and, since June 23, 2013, a pediatric cancer warrior. This is the story of our family, the girl at the center of it, and the fight we refuse to quit.
Meet the Ryans
A family held together by love, laughter and resolve.
Josh
The steady hand.Since 2019, Josh has been a full-time dad, running the appointments, the therapies and the thousand quiet things that keep our family moving.
Tracy
The relentless one.A Tennessee-born brand strategist who spent over 20 years building brands for companies like IBM, Samsung and Google, turned every one of those skills toward saving her daughter's life.
The Journey
Thirteen years of turning “no” into “not yet.”
A timeline of impossible news, relentless searching and the people who chose to believe alongside us.
2012
Sophie Isabella is born on October 3 weighing 9.74 Lbs. Our world is perfect...she is perfect.
2013
At 8½ months old, Sophie is diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma, an incurable brain tumor. Doctors tell us our best chance is to arrest the development of the tumor with toxic chemotherapies. We refuse to accept that's the only answer.
2013
CannaKids & Saving Sophie is born: a promise, a community and, eventually, a medical cannabis tincture line and a foundation.
2014
Tracy searches the world for answers and dives into the science, from medical cannabis research to the frontier of cancer immunotherapy. Her first stop...Technion Institute in Israel.
2015
The Ryan's journey reaches millions through the launch of the Netflix documentary Weed the People that followed their family for 6 years. National Geographic, VICE and The Today Show join the dozen other media agencies that pick up their story.
2018-2023
Tracy partners with UCLA researcher Dr. Anahid Jewett, becomes a co-inventor on a patent, and co-founds a cell-based immunotherapy company. Sophie becomes patient number 2.
2021–2024
Five invitations to the White House, Cancer Moonshot roundtables, and five straight years speaking on Capitol Hill for the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus.
2026
Tracy is named one of MSN's Top 10 Women to Watch and joins a clinical-stage cell therapy company as Head of Communications & Patient Advocacy. A top Hollywood directing team is now following our story.
Today
Sophie keeps fighting through her 11th recurrence, with more courage and better jokes than any of us.
By the Numbers
13+Years of fighting for Sophie
11Recurrences, and still standing
$11M+Raised for companies and science
3×Sumit Series
200+Stages around the world
Saving SophieEst. 2013
Saving Sophie Foundation
What started as one family's fight became a movement.
For more than 13 years, Saving Sophie has funded research, supported the scientists working on safer and smarter treatments, donated thousands of dollars and given families a community when they need it most. Every event, from Scramble for Sophie on the golf course to our @prayersforsophie community online, keeps that work alive.
The Fight Continues
“Nothing more can be done” was never an answer we accepted. It still isn't.
We carry forward the work of the late Dr. Anahid Jewett, push new immunotherapies for children toward clinical trials, and fight in Washington for every family who hears the words we heard in 2013.
Because Sophie isn't just our daughter. She's the reason thousands of other kids may get a better option.
Our story has been shared by
Netflix · National Geographic · VICE· CNN · FOX · The Today Show· The Doctors · PBS · Telemundo · Forbes · Huffington Post· Daily Mail
Stand with Sophie