Stand Up To Cancer

My mother is a survivor. A beautiful and brave fighter.

When she was diagnosed with lymphoma over a decade ago, she decided she wasn't going to think about it too much, she was just going to do what she had to do to live her life well. She sought out - and found - the best medical care available for her disease, and in that search we found a brilliant physician and, it turns out, a lifelong friend in Dr. Lee Nadler at Dana-Farber in Boston.

My mother had chemotherapy when she was in her early 80s. She had radiation a few years later. Recently she has gone through two cycles of Rituxan. She is 87 years old. She never complains and she doesn't feel sorry for herself. She plays cards with her friends twice a week and is still so beautiful she turns heads when she walks into any room.

My mother inspires me each and every day. She inspired me to get together with some of my dearest and closest friends and to work with them to start Stand Up to Cancer. None of us will stop until we've seen real breakthroughs - for our mothers, our fathers, our sisters and brothers, our children and partners and most cherished friends.

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful, extraordinary Mother Anita Simon, and to those of you who no longer have their Mothers around, know that mine always has extra hugs available. She is why I continue to Stand Up to Cancer.

On this Mother's Day, let us remember all those moms we've lost and all those in the fight. One out of every three women is affected by cancer. Today we stand up in memory of all those moms we've lost, and all those moms who are in the fight against this vicious disease. Launch a star in memory of someone you love here.

--Ellen Ziffren