In Loving Memory of Linda Swalling
All of us at the THANC Foundation are deeply saddened by Linda’s passing and truly devastated to lose someone who had such a profound impact on our mission and on our community. She was not only a cancer survivor and advocate, but a trusted board member, a generous supporter, a cherished friend and a steady, compassionate presence for so many navigating head and neck cancer. Linda’s strength, warmth and commitment shaped our work in lasting ways, and we keenly feel her absence.
- A Survivor Who Turned Experience Into Action
- Investing in Care That Changes Daily Life
- Amplifying Survivor Voices Through Advocacy & Storytelling
- Sustaining the Next Generation of Caregivers
- Championing Innovation in Surgical Care
- A Hands-On Advocate for Research
- Leadership Rooted in Compassion
- Remembering Linda
A Survivor Who Turned Experience Into Action
Linda understood cancer not only as a diagnosis, but as an experience that reshapes every part of a person’s life. As a survivor, she carried firsthand knowledge of what it means to navigate treatment, recovery and the long road that follows. She also understood, in a very real and personal way, the ongoing anxiety many survivors carry — the fear of recurrence and the possibility of developing new cancers — long after treatment ends.
But she did not keep that understanding to herself. Instead, she turned it outward, using her experience to support others and to strengthen systems of care that too often fall short of patient needs. Her generosity in supporting research and educational initiatives was driven by a desire to ease that burden for the next generation of head and neck cancer patients and to improve what comes after diagnosis for those who follow.
Her approach to advocacy was practical, thoughtful and deeply human. She asked questions. She listened closely. And she wanted to know how things worked — not in the abstract, but in the real world where patients struggle to swallow, to speak, to be understood and to reclaim daily life after cancer.
That perspective shaped every aspect of her involvement with THANC.
Investing in Care That Changes Daily Life
Linda believed that improving cancer care meant investing in tools and programs that tangibly improve quality of life. One example was her support for advanced healthcare equipment, including underwriting a swallow station. This type of equipment plays a critical role in evaluating and rehabilitating swallowing function, an issue that profoundly affects many head and neck cancer survivors.
For patients who struggle with eating, drinking and even taking medication safely, access to this kind of technology can be transformative. Linda understood that rehabilitation is not a secondary concern — it is central to recovery. Her support helped ensure that patients could receive care that restores function, dignity and independence to the optimal extent possible, after experiencing the life altering effects of surgery and radiation therapy.
Many of these efforts were made possible through the creation of the Mat and Linda Swalling Fund, established in honor of her late husband. Through this fund, Linda ensured that their shared values would live on by directly supporting programs and initiatives that improve the lives of people affected by head and neck cancer.
Amplifying Survivor Voices Through Advocacy & Storytelling
Linda also recognized the power of advocacy and storytelling in reducing isolation and increasing understanding. Her contributions supported a variety of THANC advocacy programs, including enabling the Foundation to co-sponsor a documentary that shared the struggles of laryngectomees.
The removal of the voice box is a life-altering surgery that affects voice, breathing and identity in profound ways. By helping bring this documentary to life, Linda helped ensure that the realities faced by laryngectomees were seen, heard and understood — not only by the public, but by clinicians, caregivers and newly diagnosed patients searching for reassurance and connection.
This work aligned closely with THANC’s belief that stories are a form of care. They educate, normalize difficult experiences and remind patients that they are not alone. Linda’s support made space for those voices to reach farther.
Sustaining the Next Generation of Caregivers
Perhaps one of Linda’s most enduring contributions was her long-term investment in education and training of specialists who play a vital role in the cancer patient’s journey, specifically in speech and language pathology. For six consecutive years, her donations underwrote a Speech and Language Pathology (SLP) clinical fellowship.
This sustained commitment mattered. Speech and language pathologists play a critical role in the recovery of head and neck cancer patients, supporting communication, swallowing and overall function. By funding this fellowship year after year, Linda helped train clinicians who would provide care for countless patients, multiplying the impact of her generosity well beyond any single program or institution.
Her support reflected a long view of impact. She was not only concerned with today’s patients, but with ensuring that tomorrow’s survivors would have access to skilled, compassionate professionals who understand the complexity of head and neck cancer recovery.
Championing Innovation in Surgical Care
Linda was also deeply interested in innovation, particularly when it promised clearer communication and better outcomes for patients. She helped fund an innovative application of 3D scanning technology used to enhance the process of frozen section analysis. This initiative is designed to improve the intraoperative flow of information between the surgeon and pathologist, which is vital for frozen section analysis to be more precise and efficient. By improving how information is shared during and after surgery, this approach has the potential to support more informed decision-making, clearer documentation and ultimately better outcomes for patients.
Linda took the time to understand this work. She asked thoughtful questions, engaged with the science behind it and advocated for its importance. Her involvement reflected a rare combination of curiosity and care — a belief that innovation matters most when it is grounded in patient benefit.
A Hands-On Advocate for Research
Beyond any single project, Linda was a committed supporter of innovative research initiatives across THANC’s portfolio. She did not see research as an abstract pursuit, but as a pathway to real improvements in how patients are diagnosed, treated and supported over time.
Leadership Rooted in Compassion
As a member of the THANC Board of Directors, Linda brought all of these perspectives together. Her leadership was thoughtful and steady. She offered insight shaped by lived experience and a genuine desire to move the mission forward in meaningful ways.
She believed deeply in THANC’s role as a connector — between patients and information and between research and real-world care. Her contributions helped ensure that THANC could continue to support patients and caregivers at every stage of the cancer journey.
Remembering Linda
Linda Swalling leaves behind a legacy defined by care, courage and commitment. Her generosity funded tools that restore function, programs that elevate survivor voices, training that strengthens the care workforce and research that pushes the field forward. Just as importantly, she gave her time, her trust and friendship, reminding all of us why this work matters.
As we remember Linda, we honor not only what she gave, but how she gave it — with intention, empathy and a deep respect for the people at the heart of this mission. Her impact lives on in the patients who swallow more easily, speak more confidently, feel less alone and benefit from care shaped by the initiatives she championed.
She will be deeply missed. And she will always be part of the THANC story.
