When Mike Hart talks about his family, there’s a mix of pride and pain in his voice. Mary Lynn, his younger sister and the strongest person he knows, has been living with scleroderma for the past 15 years. And their mother, Kathy, recently passed away in October 2023.
For their mother, supporting Mary Lynn throughout her journey meant more than just checking in with her or helping her manage symptoms. It was about being her rock, her fiercest advocate, and her most steadfast source of encouragement. A bond that was already strong between mother and daughter grew even deeper through their shared determination to fight this disease together.
Even as Kathy faced her own health challenges, she never wavered in her commitment. Before her passing, she made a decision to leave a generous bequest to the National Scleroderma Foundation. Her gift ensures that her fight to find a cure for this disease will continue.
“My mom didn’t pick any other organization to leave money to,” Mike said. To me, that says all you need to know about the bond between a mom and her daughter.”
Growing up, Kathy Hart was one of three children, but conversations about health always made her nervous because her older sister died from pneumonia at an early age.
“Until the day she died, Mom just wanted to be there for Mary,” Mike said. “She didn’t want to pester her, but as a mother, you’re never not a mom. It doesn’t matter how old your kids are. She worried about Mary every moment of her waking life because—if you have kids you’ll understand this—that’s your child.”
The loss of her sister early in life helped Kathy understand the incredible value of family. In sixth grade, she attended a small school in the Toledo area, where she would meet her future husband to whom she was married for 40 years.
“We lost my dad when he was 62. And we hated to lose mom, but we’re glad they’re back together.”
Kathy’s plans to name the Foundation as a beneficiary of her retirement plan were completely her own decision. According to Mike, “It was her way of taking care of her baby girl. When your kids are sick, you just want to solve the problem, and since Mary’s disease is advanced, if there’s anything mom could have done to find a cure, she would have done it. That’s why she gave.”
Though teary-eyed, Mike reflects on his family’s journey with the same resolve and determination that his mother had for Mary Lynn.
“I see what my sister goes through. She can’t get gloves on her hands, she has sores on her fingers, and she experiences all sorts of aches and joint pain. But she’s still holding on—God love her. If I could take that disease and put it in my body, I would do that in a minute.”