Original Message from the Founders

Hello, I am Lori Ross and when my family and I think of our mother Libby, we think of her laughter, smile and strength. We think of her taking the time to not only be a parent to her children, but a true friend to us as well. We think of the values that she taught us all about family, friendship and life. We also remember the day that we learned she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Our mother had always put on a brave face in times of crisis, but this time we could see she was terrified to fight the battle against breast cancer.

The feeling of not knowing what Mom would endure physically and mentally, what Daddy and the children would endure, and especially what the family as a whole would endure, affected us all during this time. We did our best to comfort Mom, but her disease not only affected her physically and emotionally, it also affected the family, as we did not truly know how to care for our mother during this time. Through it all, the entire family gave love, devotion, and strength, to try and help Mom overcome breast cancer. We saw that strength that my mother possessed slowly taken away as she fought the fight that took her life on July 24, 1998.

Hello, I am Marla Willner and my mother, Sophia, has faced breast cancer twice. Luckily, she has beaten the disease both times. It is incredibly painful and scary to feel such helplessness and watch someone you love experience the ravages of breast cancer and the fears of mortality. While there are many good support groups out there, they require a person to seek them out. My mother is not the kind of person who is comfortable in group therapy situations, yet, she desperately needed a peer to talk to who would understand what was happening to her, to whom she could express her feelings, and from whom she could receive the type of support that no matter how much we wanted to, we just could not give her.

I also saw Lori go through the experience of losing her mother to this insidious disease that affects one in eight women in this country, and countless numbers of their families and friends that love them. We felt the need to turn our pain and anger into something positive so together we created the The Libby Ross Foundation in loving memory of Elizabeth (Libby) Ross and as a tribute to Sophia Willner.

The Foundation was started to prevent other women and other families from experiencing the devastation of breast cancer, and to ease the journey of those who are afflicted. Its mission is to make a significant difference in the lives of women afflicted with breast cancer through unique support programs and to help eradicate the disease through research and early detection. With you as our partners in the fight, we can make a difference in the lives of women, the people that love them, and in the fight against breast cancer. Together, we can change the odds.

Sincerely, Lori Ross Chairman & Founder

Marla Willner President & Founder