Blog

Dorothy Elicker will never forget April 1, 2008 as that was the day her daughter, Lucy Stanovick, was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer — she was just 42 years old.

Lucy was a beacon of light to all who knew her. While fighting her own health battles and raising two young children, Lucy worked tirelessly to educate the public about metastasis and became involved in initiatives aimed to stop the spread of cancer. She was determined to help find a cure so that when another mother or daughter walks into a doctor’s office and gets told they have metastatic cancer, the prognosis will not be terminal.

Metastasis causes more than 90% of cancer-related deaths, yet it receives less than 5% of the funding. To change this paradigm, Lucy and her family created the Lucy Fund for Metastatic Cancer Research to support NFCR-funded scientist Dr. Danny Welch, whose research is focused on stopping the metastatic spread of cancer.

Four short years later, Lucy passed away, but her legacy does not end there. With the help of family and friends, the Lucy Fund has raised more than $280,000. “Lucy selflessly fought for future generations. Her passion lives on and the generous support from those inspired by her helps keep her spirit alive,” says Dorothy. “We will continue to raise money for the Lucy Fund in memory of my daughter. To me, the Lucy Fund personifies hope that other mothers will not have to experience the heartache of watching one of her children die — leaving so much of life unfinished. We cannot stop until we put an end to cancer. That’s why the Lucy Fund is still necessary today — for the future.” For more information, visit dev.nfcr.org/lucy.