Martha H. Kaley,
Founder

Martha's Story

Infinite Energy - Zero Boundaries

Ask any of her friends and they will tell you… Martha did everything right. She was trim and fit, exercised religiously, and had an excellent diet; she was the picture of health. Yet she, like millions of other American women, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The diagnosis came as a complete shock to Martha, who has no history of breast cancer in her family. Fortunately, Martha’s family does have a history of persistence and ingenuity instilled by her inventor father and industrious mother. These qualities led Martha to found Friends You Can Count On, the nation’s first research funding organization devoted solely to earlier detection, based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“I had a cancerous tumor,” explains Martha, “that went undiscovered in a mammogram.” Three months later, thanks to a scratch from Sherlock, the family’s frisky Chocolate Lab, Martha noticed a lump in her breast. During surgery to remove this benign lump, Martha’s cautious doctor “did a little exploring” and discovered the cancerous tumor on the chest wall.

During her treatment and recovery, many good friends came forward offering casseroles, care and support. When Martha and her friends also wished to contribute to breast cancer research, they discovered funds had to exceed $2500 in order to be dedicated to breast cancer, let alone earlier detection. She and her friends’ attempt to pool contributions led Martha to the idea of forming Friends You Can Count On.

Now Martha is a 24-hour-a-day advocate for earlier detection breast cancer research- new research that will find the earliest possible method to detect breast cancer, before a tumor has ever formed. Martha is certain that the potential for science to succeed is imminent. Exactly how imminent is in our control…that is why funding is so important.

“I know that innovative research combined with new technology is the key to detecting breast cancer,” explains Martha. “Our seed grants afford these researchers the opportunity to explore innovative ideas that would remain undeveloped. Seed grants are the springboard for larger and continuing studies in earlier detection. In 2003, the organization was renamed to more accurately reflect its mission. To date, Friends For An Earlier Breast Cancer Test (formerly Friends You Can Count On) has funded research grants in excess of $2.6 million - largely through local fundraising events - and continues to extend its campaign nationwide.

Martha has been recognized locally and nationally for her tremendous efforts on behalf of Friends. In 2001, she was named the Oxygen Channel’s Woman of Strength for her strength and work with breast cancer and earlier detection awareness. She has won the prestigious Jonquil’s Award from Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center and been named one of fourteen (14) North Carolina State Heroes by Our State Magazine. The Winston-Salem Journal named Martha Kaley an Important Woman in Business in 2002 and she was named one of 25 Yoplait Champions (Read the PDF), a national award celebrating Martha as an “ordinary woman doing extraordinary things in her local community to help in the fight against breast cancer.” She has had the repeated, prestigious honor of serving on the United States Department of Defense Scientific Peer Review Committee (Read the PDF) beginning in the Spring of 2007. In addition, Martha has served on the Board of Directors for the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer Center and is a member of the Greensboro Sports Council.

In between her ceaseless work with Friends and the community, Martha assists in the family’s orthodontics practice in Greensboro. The couple has one son, Mark and a daughter-in-law, Lorin. Martha and Jim are most proud of their first grandchild, McLane Martha, born September 10, 2006. Both are health enthusiasts and love the outdoors, enjoying biking, running, and fly-fishing.

Martha is also a trained pharmacist and has a master’s degree in family counseling and early childhood development.