My lovely mother Alma J. Cameron was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer on May 12^th 2006 on my birthday.  You can’t imagine our family’s horror when the doctor didn’t give her much time to live. We didn’t understand the diagnoses, because she was non-smoker, and never exposed herself to second hand smoke or toxins.  Her lifestyle was one of conscious health, humility, spirituality and love.  I just couldn’t wrap my brain around this diagnosis, lung cancer. 

Mom was fondly known as Jean.  A mother to many, Jean touched numerous people’s lives through Open Arms,  a  board-and-care facility for Veterans in Los Angeles that she co-founded with my sister Verlene Cameron; as well as through her continuous work within the Los Angeles community for more than 40 years and many anonymous acts of philanthropy.  Little known to many, Jean, a woman of the world, was a talented landscape artist and avid collector of fine art. Her demeanor was one of meek humbleness, while radiating sophistication, love and serenity.

The journey with my mother through numerous health care treatments brought to the forefront this country’s lack of access to life saving medications, as well as, integrative treatment.  This I believe is mainly fueled by the lack of resources to support the out-of-pocket expense or lack of knowledge of these services. We deeply believe that our ability to pay for experimental drugs and integrative treatment received from the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology prolonged her life.  Such affordably and access dramatically improved the quality of life until her passing.

 With the above journey in mind, now I  introduce you to The Alma J. Cameron Foundation for Cancer Awareness (The AJCF).  The Foundation is named in honor and loving memory of our mother. 

The Alma J. Cameron Foundation for Cancer Awareness (AJCF) mission is to help others facing Cancer related healthcare decisions/options reduce out of pocket cost for patients facing economic challenges.   It is our mission to grant cancer patients who engage integrative treatment with grants to cover the Healthcare expenses one faces when seeking treatment at   the Simms/Mann UCAL Center for Integrative Oncology.

Our Mission

The mission of The Alma J. Cameron (AJCF) is to bring awareness to the symptoms of Lung Cancer through print, media and special events.  The AJCF will provide financial support and referral services to low income minority female lung cancer patients in the Los Angeles area for Integrative Medicine treatment. 

It is our mission to be a bridge between the inequalities in the cost for Integrative Alternative care which burden cancer patients in various segments of our population and the nation.  We will provide monetary support through grants to qualifying lung cancer patients for high-quality integrative medicine treatment at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.  

It is our mission to provide referral of services that addresses a person's total health; body, mind and spirit–while developing and nurturing partnerships with likeminded organizations like the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.

Who We Are

We are the family and friends of Alma J. Cameron. We stand behind the AJCF’s efforts to make a difference in cancer education, treatment and awareness, one person at a time. The AJCF's philosophy is based on two simple facts:

1.     Healthy lifestyles aid in the fight against cancer and the side effects associated with traditional treatments. 

2.     It costs less to educate people about good health, cancer symptoms and early detection, than it is to treat them after an end-stage diagnoses.

The AJCF was formed to help bridge the gap between inequalities in the cost for alternative care which burden cancer patients among different segments of the population in Los Angeles. The causes of health disparities are complex, but likely arise from socioeconomic disparities in work, wealth, income, education, housing and overall standard of living; economic and social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment services.