The Team Behind the Littlest Tumor Foundation
Tracy Wirtanen, MSW
CEO/Founder
“We invest in the NF community with impactful programming. We lead NF Family Wellness Retreats (free for NF families), the NF Young Adult Leadership Program, and spearhead the NF Collective. We see children soar, moms connect, and young adults find their voices. It is amazing and an honor to be part of it all.”
Maria Cosma-Lambie
Program Coordinator
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Maria is passionate about community empowerment, has coordinated high-stakes communications for government officials, and has managed complex donor data to drive organizational growth. She received an MPA from Baruch College at the City University of New York and brings meticulous attention to detail to the expansion of vital resources for the NF community.
Lilla Wirtanen-Debenedet
NF Family Wellness Retreat Coordinator
Lilla is a senior at American University Majoring in CLEG, (Communication, Economics, Legal Studies, and Government) with a minor in Literature. She has worked as a full-time nanny and has helped run a food shelf in Burlington, Vermont. She has been volunteering and working for LTF since its founding! Starting with cutting off her hair in a fundraiser, to running the retreat.
Zane Morgan
NFYA mentor
Zane has been involved with the NFYA since its inaugural year in 2019, when he participated as a member of the program’s first cohort. Since then, he has returned each year as a mentor, supporting and encouraging the next generation of participants.
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Living with NF type 1, along with several members of his family, Zane brings both personal experience and a deep commitment to the NF community. He is passionate about the NFYA because it allows him to witness young adults grow in confidence as they learn to advocate for themselves and make a meaningful impact on behalf of the NF community.
Katrin Patience
County Board Supervisor for Outagamie County, Wisconsin
Katrin received her BA and MA in English Literature from Eastern Illinois University before working several years in the precision measuring and tooling industry. During this time she earned her teaching license and taught high school English literature and grammar, from remedial to Advanced Placement, from freshmen to seniors.
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After moving to Appleton, WI, she succumbed to Tracy Wirtanen’s siren song. She was recruited to run for the county board and drawn into various writing projects on behalf of Littlest Tumor Foundation.
Currently Katrin divides her time between LTF’s advocacy efforts, endless Public Safety subcommittees, cooking, gardening, her husband, Rodger, and four cats with big personalities and even bigger hairballs.
Our Pups
Suki
Snoozer-in-Chief
By day, Suki’s a snuggling, treat-wrangling super-sweet dog. Though she snoozes through most team meetings, she is still devoted to the NF cause.
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