Dealing with Cancer

Hello

I am new to this blogging but need to talk, my sister Liz Martocci was diagnosed
with lung cancer about seven months ago and her kids have created a foundation to help her and others dealing with this disease.www.lizmartoccilungcancerfoundation.org

I have watched the site and spoken with the children and see the pain they are going through as I have lived it before you see this is the second sister to be hit by this decease.

We lost our sister Sheryl to Rectal Cancer in 1976, I was 14 at the time and watched this 21 year old woman deteriorate in front of my eyes. She lost her battle after only 6 months, we also lost Sheryl's daughter Kelly to Brain Cancer in 1985.

It has been 23 years since we dealt with this last dealt with this but the fear of losing another has been weighing on my mind. I don't get to see Liz much anymore as we have families of our own that takes up a great deal of our time, there was a time when we were young that we were best friends and I miss that.

I pray that Liz will beat this disease but I know the realty is that she will not.

I need her to know that she is Loved, not only by her children but by her brothers and mother as well.

In closing I ask that anyone who may see this to visit the site and help in anyway you can.


Tim

What a difference a Day makes

So if you stumbled across my blog you most likely know the story of what is going on in my life at the moment. If not please visit my moms website www.LizMartocciLungCancerFoundation.org to read about it. Anyway today has been pretty amazing. We hit the first of many records in our fund raising. In one day we received more donations than my mom used to make in two weeks and in 5 days we have raised more than she used to make in a month. I find it amazing yet sad it takes something like lung cancer to make people unite and pull together during tough times.

I do have to say thank you to everyone that has helped get the word out as well as to those that have donated money. Money is wonderful and money is needed, however one of our goals as a foundation is to bring more awareness to lung cancer. As I type this I am reflecting on what the Liz Martocci Lung Cancer Foundation has committed to do every day, and I am very proud to say again we have accomplished our goals, our vision. These are the goals we strive for each and every day. They are posted on the first page of our website.

•Financially Support those without help insurance so they receive the medical care they so deserve as quickly as possible.

•Address the informational needs of people living with lung cancer and their loved ones.

•Provide compassion and support to those facing the many challenges of lung cancer.

•Increase lung cancer awareness

•Bring optimism to families living with lung cancer

I can say these will never change, everyday we will achieve each one of these bullet points, and I know we will add to the list. As the foundation grows, with the help of wonderful people, we will continue to grow personally and professionally.

Now is it easy to achieve these goals each day? I have to be honest and say NO. Today for example I thought I had all of the 501c3 paperwork to make us a “real” no profit complete and ready. I had a go to guy that was going to take care of it. Well he did, not exactly. My vision was he was going to say ya Dan I can take care of it for you. Instead what he told me is that 501c3’s are not his specialty and he offered me advice as to how I could get it done, and what questions to ask along the way. At first I felt disappointed, then I realized I had just been given a gift. I was just about to learn more about corporate America than I ever cared to know. I read the sites he suggested and then I decided I just needed to “act” on it make the decision and get it done. So I used money that was set to pay my mortgage to hire a company to do all of the paperwork, filing, articles of incorporation and just get this project that is now going to be a life long passion. The awesome part is the company let me split it into 3 payments and my brother and sister both said they would take on a payment. Let me tell you, not one of the 3 of us has money. We are all one paycheck from foreclosure, yet we have a passion and with passion everything else will just fall into place.

I am going to close this blog with one thing. That one thing is “thoughts become things”. One week ago today this foundation was simply a thought. Less than one week into this we are already a six figure a year foundation and we have only just begun. We are going to pass this gift on to so many.

Ok so you know I rarely close with one thing. Almost a month ago, I broke and arrow with my throat, bent rebar with the soft spot in my neck and walked over 1200 degree coals 7 times. After doing all of those things I was left wondering what do I do next? Well my calling has come and it is the Liz Martocci Lung Cancer Foundation.

May god and the universe bless you and those around you,

Dan Hart