Born on this day in 1932, Charlotte was a social worker from Buffalo, New York who came to California to attend graduate school in public health at UC Berkeley during the late 1960’s. According to longtime friend Jean Morton, Charlotte was always supportive of women’s rights and social justice issues and was motivated toward public health and a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the problems that came with poverty. After graduate school, Charlotte became a director for the American Cancer Society.

After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in early 1987, Charlotte put together her own team of complementary health practitioners to supplement her conventional care. Her team of women practitioners specialized in Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, guided imagery, homeopathy, and eventually hospice care. They gave Charlotte loving support, visited her in the hospital, and when she could no longer travel, brought their services to her home.

An indomitable spirit with a tremendous sense of humor, Charlotte expressed the hope that one day, low-income women with cancer would be able to receive the complementary treatments that did so much to ease her suffering throughout her cancer journey. She died in December 1988 at the age of 56.

Charlotte’s profound hope for those who could not afford the same compassionate care she received during her cancer journey was the inspiration behind the founding of the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic in 1991. During the past 30 years, thousands of low-income women with cancer have been afforded the opportunity for improved health outcomes and quality of life in her name.

During these extraordinarily difficult times, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic’s mission to support and empower low-income women with cancer by providing free access to effective and safe complementary therapies in combination with their standard medical treatment is more relevant than ever. Help ensure that Charlotte Maxwell’s legacy lives on by contributing to our 90th birthday fundraiser in her honor.