History
When you hear that a loved one has breast cancer, often the first question asked is “How much time do we have?” Doctors can do their best to estimate based on statistics and personal situations, but time is never a guarantee, especially in Libby Maynard’s case.
Libby was diagnosed and with Stage IV breast cancer and given three to five years to live. Her daughter, Robin Maynard, was by her side and asked her mother what she wanted to do with those years – a cruise to Alaska. Robin got to planning and navigating the red tape in the health care system. Unfortunately, cancer had different plans for Libby, and she passed away just six weeks after this diagnosis, never getting to take that trip.
The year 2007 marked one year after the initial shock of losing her mother, and also the year that Robin founded Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation (LLBCF) with the goal of advocating for patients and sending one Stage IV patient and their family on the cruise that Libby had dreamed of doing, each year, calling it the Live Big Memory Cruise.
By 2008, it became evident that there were some major disparities in the breast health services offered to uninsured women, as well as a lack of charitable funding for patients, so in addition to patient advocacy and the cruise, free breast health services were provided to 53 women that year through money raised by LLBCF.
The population of patients in need grew so significantly that by 2009, Robin left her full-time career as a Crime Scene Investigator to fully focus on LLBCF.
Since inception, more than 7,000 breast health services have been given and over 180 women and one man have been diagnosed/navigated through treatment. LLBCF makes sure that no one ever has to fight alone.
Libby’s Story
Let me introduce you to the most amazing woman my sister and I have ever known…
Our Mom, Libby Maynard, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2005 and endured a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation. Her attitude was amazing. She always had a smile on her face and had the most positive outlook even in the face of her own diagnosis. She had more faith than anyone we’ve ever known! She made it through her initial treatments and then was informed that the cancer was back in September of 2005.
In January 2006, after more chemo, the doctor said the average woman in her condition lived three to five years. He told her to go do all the things she ever wanted to do. She didn’t accept this opinion, of course, and with a smile on her face, said “Well, that’s the average woman, and there’s nothing average about me!”.
My Sister Marty and I asked our Mom what she always wanted to do but hadn’t yet. She wanted to cruise to Alaska and she always wanted to see Italy. The cruise was planned for May.
She passed away 6 weeks later on February 28, 2006.
Our mom was FUN. Our mom was strong. Our mom raised us to make a difference in this world and that’s just what we intend to do!
Libby Maynard was full of fun, faith and courage and we hope to embody her spirit through this foundation by being secure enough to be vulnerable, strong enough to be gentle, wise enough to be humble, and powerful enough to serve others!
Thank you for your support,
Robin and Marty Maynard