About

Our Mission
The Beverly Fund is a National nonprofit organization dedicated to lung cancer awareness & education, patient support, and early detection research. We are a 501c3 organization.

Our mission is to put a face on lung cancer and give a voice to those who have been affected by this disease. We want to find a cure for lung cancer by finding the causes of lung cancer and provide aid in research that will improve the quality of life of those suffering with lung cancer. In addition, we are strong advocates in early detection to help prohibit people from ever getting lung cancer. We achieve this by raising awareness on the effects and causes of lung cancer nationwide with our Kites for Cancer Awareness event, Remember November campaigns and the Request the Test program. We are a central resource network for patients and loved ones who have been affected by this disease.

To quote Nancy G. Brinker who started Komen for the Cure for breast cancer, “No disease is cured in a laboratory alone. Society looks to science to help alleviate suffering. And science looks to society for the funding and public support that make new discoveries, drugs and treatments possible.”

Our Story
The Beverly Fund is the sole creation of one person’s dream to make a difference in the lives of millions. Tracy (Pierandozzi) Sestili’s close relationship with her mother who died of small cell carcinoma in January 2006, is the primary reason for the existence of The Beverly Fund. A promise made to a mother from her daughter.

Our Inspiration
By Tracy Sestili

She was not only my mother, but also my best friend. The picture below is one where we went to Italy together back in March 2000.

The great thing about my mom was that she was the most selfless person I ever knew. She was always looking out for others instead of herself. My mom underwent a clinical trial and on that day in the waiting room I remember her saying that even if the treatment she was about to undergo didn’t help her, hopefully it would help the doctors in their research to help someone else in the future. Later that day they gave her 201 beams of radiation concentrated in one spot in her brain to rid the tumor near her central nervous system which was believed to have spawned from the cancer in her lung.

When I found out she had lung cancer, I was not only devastated, but was mad as hell. Clearly I felt like I had to blame someone. And I did, I was very angry at and blamed God. How could he let this happen to one of the most selfless people I knew? One day my mom asked why I didn’t go to church anymore and I told her because I was angry with God right now. She shook her head side to side disapproving and told me that I shouldn’t be angry with God. He didn’t make her smoke and he didn’t give her lung cancer. She insisted that she made the choice herself to smoke. And she smoked 47 years of her life and enjoyed every minute of it. If I was going to be angry with anyone I should be angry with her for doing this to herself. Well of course, I couldn’t be mad at her. But then I got to thinking and she was right. I’m not mad at God anymore. I turned my anger into determined energy and decided instead to help find a cure and raise awareness. That’s my inspiration. She is our inspiration. Read her story.