A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER

Paula Martin - Founder & President

When my sister Rosalind was diagnosed with non smokers lung cancer on March 24, 2005 I was devastated. It was hard to comprehend how something like this could have happened to my baby sister, someone who had always lived a clean and healthy lifestyle and took excellent care of her body by exercising regularly and eating right. I spent many hours online doing research to try to understand how this could have happened to her. Unfortunately, no answers we’re provided. I remembered during one of Roz’s first doctor appointments her Oncologist told us that sometimes bad things happen to good people. I thought “WOW” that’s not a good enough answer for me. So, I continued to pray daily and asked God to help me understand so that I would be able to cope with the situation, and be a support to my sister no matter what came her way. My wish was not to question God but I needed something, a reason as to why this was happening in order to keep my faith intact. Today I still don’t know or understand why my sister suffered for nine months and died on December 23, 2005 at 10:25 am but I do still have my faith.

A few months later, while watching the evening news one night right after the wife of a well-known actor who was another non- smoker had passed away, the newscaster mentioned that lung cancer was the number one killing cancer in the United States however, it is the least funded. He said this was because the government felt that lung cancer victims brought this disease on themselves by smoking. Upon hearing this, I immediately felt sick to my stomach, my heart was hurt, and I became very upset.  All I could think about was that Roz did not smoke, this actor’s wife did not smoke and so many other people who have succumbed to this horrible disease are non smokers. Furthermore, I believe that anyone who is diagnosed with lung cancer, whether a smoker or a non-smoker, deserves a right to a cure and a chance to live. The newscaster also stated that most people diagnosed with lung cancer don’t even live a year after their diagnosis and therefore, are not around long enough to champion their cause and solicit funding for research. Well, my sister and many others may have passed away from this horrible disease but as long as I am alive, I intend to champion this cause on their behalf!

My goal in establishing this foundation is to raise awareness across the country so that everyone understands that lung cancer is not only a smoker's disease, but there is an increasing amount of non-smokers being diagnosed and who are dying daily from this disease as well. I feel that everyone deserves a right to a cure, or at least to more research, geared towards finding a cure. Let’s not just write people off because every life is precious. You may not have been affected by this disease yet, your family and friends may all be healthy and well today but one day, you could be sitting where I now sit. Wouldn't you want your loved one to have a cure?

Please donate today to the Rosalind Martin-Handsome Lung Cancer Foundation and help us fight to eradicate this deadly disease.

Thank You!

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