Georgetown University football student-athlete David Fajgenbaum lost his mother, Anne Marie, to brain cancer a little more than a year ago. Soon after, he was searching for a way to honor her life and reach out to others in situations like his.

That led to the establishment of Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers (AMF) Support Network in 2004. The organization's acronym comes from Fajgenbaum's mother's initials. The group aims to help college-age students cope with the psychological, spiritual, social and academic difficulties associated with having a sick family member through service, support and mentoring with other students who share the same experiences.

AMF began as a support group for about 10 Hoya students and has since grown to include 40. A second component of AMF is devoted to organizing and participating in service projects throughout the community in memory of loved ones who have died.

Fajgenbaum has spoken publicly on many occasions about his experiences and AMF. As a result, what started with just one chapter at Georgetown has grown to include another active chapter at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Fajgenbaum also has fielded inquiries from about 20 other schools interested in establishing AMF chapters.

Fajgenbaum, a junior quarterback, is working through a pre-medical curriculum and plans to attend medical school at Georgetown.

For more information about Students of AMF, go to www.studentsofamf.org.