Wendy Sellers, a 30-year-old wife and mother, had been struggling for months with unexplained lung issues before she finally received a LAM diagnosis. It was the early 1980s, when doctors knew little about the disease. Her husband, Rick, and father-in-law, Dr. John Sellers, wanted her to receive the most advanced care available at the time. Wendy traveled to the Mayo Clinic, where she participated in early LAM studies, and her journey was chronicled in The New England Journal of Medicine.  Unfortunately, there was no effective treatment for LAM back then. Wendy spent her remaining years enjoying life as best she could – planting a magnificent flower garden, watching the yellow tulips blossom, dancing and caring for her two children, creating memories they cherish to this day. Sadly, Wendy passed away at the age of 32.

Dr. Sellers was devastated. How could this young, otherwise vibrant mother succumb to such a debilitating, virtually unknown disease? Why wasn’t there a better treatment, or even a cure, for LAM? In the years after Wendy’s passing, Dr. Sellers remained devoted to his daughter-in-law and deeply aware of the critical need to advance LAM research. He followed the work of The LAM Foundation closely. Above all, Dr. Sellers wanted to do whatever he could to help families avoid such suffering in the future. Wendy inspired him to leave a legacy for The LAM Foundation through a gift from his estate.

Dr. Sellers passed away at the age of 103 in 2017. Nearly 40 years after Wendy’s death, The LAM Foundation received his transformational gift — reminding us of the profound impact one life can have on the lives of many others. The Sellers family credits funding for LAM research and the high level of participation in clinical trials to The LAM Foundation and its dedicated patient community.

You, too, have the opportunity to impact the future of The LAM Foundation without affecting your current cash flow. By generously including the Foundation in your estate planning, you can help ensure the continued pursuit of our mission: to urgently seek safe and effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for LAM. Learn more about our planned giving options here.