The Mother Teresa Cancer Awareness Fund was created when Capital Region residents, Joyce and Hank Maddalone, parents of 14 children of Glenville, N.Y. were going through the stressors that accompany cancer.
Joyce was diagnosed in 2012 with a rare cancer called Sex Cord-Stromal Tumor, a form of uterine cancer (and in 2019, diagnosed with Melanoma). In November 2018, Hank, her husband of 55 years was also diagnosed with cancer and in April 2019, Hank lost his battle to Liver cancer.
Joyce’s eldest child and Executive Director of The Mother Teresa Cancer Awareness Fund, Terra Maddalone-Ristau shares: “My parents have devoted their lives to helping others and while it is difficult, we pull together and stay focused on our mission of continuing their legacy.
We understand the stressors and expenses that face a patient and have found a way to help others in the community alleviate their worries in some small way with the out of pocket expenses that come with treatment.
The Mother Teresa Cancer Awareness Fund was formed to fulfill my parent’s wish.”
