Todd Allen-Gifford has always called the Washington, D.C. area home. Growing up just a few miles from Georgetown University, he was familiar with the campus but never imagined how central Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center would one day become to his family and his life. Years later, upon returning home to D.C. during his freshman year of college, Todd found himself sitting beside his father, John, at Georgetown Lombardi, navigating a prostate cancer diagnosis that changed everything.
Initially, Todd’s family thought prostatectomy surgery might be enough to remove the cancer. However, when scans showed the cancer had already spread, what they believed would be a manageable procedure quickly became a more daunting fight. Todd remembers the weight of that moment—trying to balance his studies while facing the possibility of losing his father far sooner than he could have ever imagined.
During this difficult time, the family was grateful to find a trustworthy partner in Dr. Nancy Dawson at Georgetown Lombardi. Her persistence and expertise gave their family not just treatment options, but time. “My dad mostly responded well to treatments at Lombardi, and each time one treatment plan began to lose its effectiveness, Dr. Dawson had a new plan in mind that seemingly always worked,” Todd said. That vigilance, combined with his father’s resilience, stretched what doctors thought might be only two or three years into nearly a decade of milestones and memories.
Todd credits Dr. Dawson for not only with extending his father’s life, but also with building lasting connections through her work. “Dr. Dawson’s involvement with BellRinger and her ability to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for research is clearly a testament to her profound relationships with her patients and their families, and most importantly the impact she leaves on them. I truly think the world of her, and am eternally grateful for all the extra years she gave me with my dad,” he shared.
When John passed away in November 2024, Todd and his family felt compelled to give back. His mother donated directly to Dr. Dawson’s research, a gesture that led them to BellRinger. Volunteering felt like a natural extension for Todd. “I love volunteering, and it’s something I try to do a lot. So although riding didn’t feel like the right fit for me, this felt like the perfect way to give back,” he said.
This year marks Todd’s first BellRinger, and he has already raised over $1,000 in his father’s honor. “My dad meant the world to me, and he was the type of person who put others first. So I think BellRinger to me represents a lot of what he would have wanted,” Todd said. His voice caught as he added, “We knew that donating to research wouldn’t save him, but I think it was more important to hopefully have an impact on the future. I think he would have really loved and been proud of that”.
Todd speaks of his father with deep admiration, describing him as “a good person through and through, who wanted to take as much attention off himself as possible and just cared about everyone else.” That care for others is what Todd hopes to reflect in his own efforts—whether by volunteering, fundraising, or sharing his story.
BellRinger, for Todd, is both remembrance and legacy. It ensures that the fight his father waged against cancer continues to ripple outward—fueling research, supporting patients, and building community. “I really admire everyone who takes part in BellRinger, and I hope to help future patients in his position through fundraising and drawing more attention to the cause,” Todd shared.
In every hour volunteered and every dollar raised, Todd sees his father’s influence. The nine years Lombardi gave his family were filled with lessons, love, and time that can never be replaced. Now, through BellRinger, he is determined to give back so that other families may be given the same extraordinary gift.
