8 yr old girls dream trip cancelled by non-profit CEO's!

We are the proud parents of an extraordinary girl named Savannah Grace, whom we adopted from China. Our story began six years ago when we traveled to a Chinese orphanage to bring her home. Born with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome and PA/IVS, along with other heart defects. Savannah was very ill and faced immense medical hurdles, including life-saving surgeries. She was unable to walk without falling, speak or use her hands well. She was not expected to survive.

Recently, a nonprofit organization offered Savannah an incredible opportunity to embark on an unforgettable 12 day safari journey in South Africa. Savannah's medical diagnosis qualified her and she was granted the trip. She is so excited; She speaks of her trip often.

Savannah was asked by the nonprofit to fundraise in February for her dream trip and she did! At Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, CO, Savannah actively participated with the students and staff in fundraising activities raising an astounding $25,000, a record for the school, for her safari trip. This nonprofit used her person, her image, her time, her story and her dream to receive donations. The marketing led donors, we have heard from many, to believe that their donations were for Savannah's trip. The CEO's will not give us an accounting of the donations. Since they CEO"s cancelled her trip, we have asked for the donations, so that we can use them to book Savannah's trip ourselves. They said "No! "

We have come to learn, recently, from other participants of this same nonprofit, that our daughter did not need to fundraise for her own trip.

In March, after a return home trip to Colorado from Boston Children's Hospital, we started receiving calls, emails and mailed letters from this nonprofit organization telling us that they needed to end Savannah's dream but they would not tell us why.

We filed a complaint with the local and corporate office and we faced swift retaliation which is still ongoing.

The CEO's and Senior Corporate Staff, have continually attempted, 7 months now, to deny Savannah her trip by:

~ Changing eligibility requirements for her participation

~ Refusing to accept her doctor’s medical clearance form that they directly requested

~ Assuming Savannah's medical condition without consulting us

~ Making her account at the nonprofit inactive

~ Telling us her dream trip has expired

~ Ignoring our many emailed questions regarding the trip

~ Requiring us to sign a legal document that holds us accountable for trip costs if she cannot participate

~ Getting direct access to her medical providers and records without our consent or knowledge

~ Bullying and threatening: "Please note that we are the only organization authorized to grant Savannah’s trip", "Our entire team, including our national CEO and legal counsel, is aware of the situation"

~ Continually lying to us and leading us on

~ Calling us names that I unable to write here

~ Creating new procedures that affect our daughter and her dream and letting us know of them on July 30th, 2025. The new rules, created in 2025, are new to us and in direct contrast to what the nonprofit publicly states on their websites and to what their staff have stated, in emails, to our family in the last 10 months. Our daughter's dream trip was granted in 2024. The CEO's stated that they just forgot to send to us?

We found out in July, just a few weeks ago, through a 3rd party, that this nonprofit cancelled Savannah's Safari trip with Adventure Life, 3 months ago, without telling us, but they continued to make us jump hoops with new requirements, Then the CEO's reprimanded us for finding the truth and told us that we are NOT allowed to contact the travel agency!

The CEO's just led our family on and on.

Savannah has already endured so much in her short life, from numerous open-heart surgeries to countless hours of therapy. Despite her medical challenges, she dreams of becoming a zoo veterinarian. Her room is adorned with decorations of her favorite wild cats. This trip holds special significance for her and represents the culmination of her hard work and dreams. She has overcome so much in her short life. She has done the hard work. Being on Safari is Savannah's dream!

This nonprofit organization, backed by significant donations from celebrities and corporations, have demonstrated a lack of care and concern for Savannah and her dream.

How do you offer an 8 yr old special needs little girl her dream trip, have her fundraise for her trip and then attempt, many times, to prevent her from going on the trip?

Determined not to allow Savannah, or any child and their family, to endure this abuse, we have launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund an independent safari trip for her. We want to show that alternative paths exist for families like ours to move forward and not shatter our child's dream.

Your support will help us replicate the 12 day South Africa journey originally offered by the nonprofit organization, covering:

Flights for our family to and from South Africa

Accommodations and sightseeing in Cape Town

Flights to Kruger National Park

Flights back to Colorado

Accommodations in Kruger National Park

Safari experiences in Kruger National Park

We were due to travel in just weeks. This total trip costs about 25k and our family cant afford a trip like this. The nonprofit is still making excuses and will not provide us with trip details.

Your donation is not just about funding a trip; it sends a powerful message to this nonprofit organization that children with special needs deserve better. Together, we can demonstrate that no, critically ill, child should be offered their dream trip only for them to cancel it.

Please consider supporting Savannah on her journey and standing against the mistreatment of this nonprofit organization that should be advocates for children like her.

Should this nonprofit decide to honor the trip they personally offered our daughter, we will reach out to all donors and discuss options for your donations. Honestly, they show no signs or remorse or ending the bullying of our family.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

With Gratitude,

Troy Swenson (Papa) for Savannah Swenson

P.S. Please check out the photos of Savannah—dressed as a lion, her baby orphanage photo, standing on a fire truck, one of her stays in the hospital and photo of the day, Savannah fundraised for her trip with the nonprofit organization.