November 30, 1944-August 24, 1989 A Short Tribute by Susan Hester, Mautner Project Founder This past August marked nineteen years since Mary-Helen Mautner died of breast cancer. Often now I meet people who know about the pioneering work of the Mautner Project. But they don't know about Mary-Helen. They don't know where the name of this organization comes from. It is a short story I like to tell. Mary-Helen was in the hospital just three weeks before she died. I stayed with her most of the time. One day while she went for a bone scan I left the hospital to visit our daughter, who was being cared for by our friends. When I returned to the hospital, Mary-Helen's face had an unusual glow. She told me that during the bone scan she realized how many lesbians in her situation would not have someone with them. They would be going through this all alone. And she had an idea of how to deal with that. Mary-Helen had written a page of notes suggesting we form an organization modeled on the AIDS "buddy" programs. She wanted an organization to help lesbians with life-threatening illnesses. An organization that would provide support for lesbians who didn't have the support she had. Mary-Helen was thinking of lesbians without friends and family who could take them to doctors' appointments and sit with them through treatment. She was thinking of lesbians who didn't have health insurance and couldn't be on their partner's policy. Lesbians whose partners weren't "out" and so couldn't take time off work to be with them. She was thinking of lesbians whose families of origin ignored their partners, and kept them out of the hospital room. Lesbians who were afraid to tell their physicians they needed their partner to be present when treatment alternatives were discussed. The page of notes Mary-Helen wrote was a gift. It served as the catalyst for a group of people to create a "lesbian health agenda" and act on it. Mary-Helen would certainly have resisted an organization being named for her. But she showed us by example that one woman can make a difference. The Mautner Project. Symbolically named for one, created by many, serving us all. From the October 2, 2008 email newsletter Mautner ProjectLINK National organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. (for Lesbians with cancer) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.