When 27-year-old Selena Martinez was told she had Lynch syndrome
— a genetic disease that can cause a host of cancers — she
decided to turn bad news into something positive. Since her
diagnosis in May 2008, Martinez has run seven half marathons
around the country and raised over $1,000. Her goal is to raise
money for genetic counseling and testing for her family and
other families with Lynch Syndrome who don't have adequate
health insurance. She also hopes to increase awareness about
Lynch syndrome, a disease that many people, including those
affected, don't know about. Lynch Syndrome, also known as
Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HPNCC), puts a
person at high risk for colon cancer. It may also increase a
person's chance of developing cancer in the stomach, small
intestines, pancreas, biliary ducts, brain and skin, among other
locations. Women with the syndrome are also at a high risk of
developing ovarian and endometrial cancer. "When I was
personally diagnosed it was at that moment that I wanted