A final update for Martha, from Joe and Pam,

Dear Friends and Family,

Martha’s eighteen month journey with breast cancer has ended and it is now time for us to write a last blog entry for her. As she wished, Martha died peacefully at home on July 16^th, 2010 surrounded by; Joe, her husband; Janaya, Joey, Michael, her children; and Pam, her sister.

From the day Martha was diagnosed on, November 13, 2008, our family worked as a team to find the best medical professionals possible. The family always shared our thoughts and then with a confident plan, we moved forward towards the best option for finding a cure. Martha faced every test, treatment, and surgery with a strong drive of beating the cancer. Her breast cancer was relentless and Martha never had a break. The disease was aggressive and progressed in spite of every effort to beat it. The outcome of this battle is not as any of us wished, however we are all at peace knowing that we tried our best and worked with the best doctors available as we sought the elusive cure. When we knew that we had tried everything humanly possible and that there wasn’t a cure to be found, we worked on helping Martha live every moment to the fullest and made as many memories as possible for the kids and family. Near the end of Martha’s journey, we found comfort in inviting Hospice of the Valley to our home with the goal to help make Martha as comfortable as possible. They not only made her comfortable, but they guided all of us through a very difficult time. With rhe support of her doctors, it was Martha who made the decision to stop further treatment and contact Hospice. We had heard of numerous stories of families that “waited too long” to call Hospice. We supported her in this very difficult decision. From the first day that Hospice arrived at our home and through every visit they made, we found comfort knowing that we had contacted Hospice at the right time. Hospice assisted the whole family in making the most of Martha’s last two months of life. For that we will be forever thankful.

Even if you never met Martha, we do not need to explain her courage, strength and determination to beat the cancer because it is already expressed in her writings on this blog. We do not need to tell of her love of family, for it is visible in her updates and pictures. She was strong for all of us. She loved each and every one of us for being a part of her life. Martha regularly shared that she was in awe of the love and support that surrounded her on this journey. So, as each one of us tries to figure out life without Martha’s presence here on earth, we will do as she requested and will always carry her in our hearts.

As Martha always said,

“Love you all tons,”