The Gene Giraffe Project is a 501c3 public charity located out of Clare, Iowa. The project raises awareness, and raises funds for rare diseased children/families who endure a long hospital visits due to a rare disease. We also provide personalized care packages to children and families with inherited or rare diseases.

Our project is inspired by Ava Passow. Ava Passow was born with infantile GM1 gangliosidosis which is a lysosomal storage disease that results in 100 percent death rate by the age of 3. She died at the age of 3 of the disease. You can find her below in the middle picture.

Our project also has created the Ava and Jackson Passow Memorial Scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to students of Fort Dodge Senior High, Manson Northwest Webster, and Fort Dodge Saint Edmonds. They are awarded to 2 seniors from each school that has went through an usual life experience or is a nursing, social services, or STEM major.