Judi Kaufman

Beverly Hills, 64, community activist and retired business owner.

Diagnosed with: Brain cancer 15 years ago. Had a recurrence and second surgery in 2002 and a third recurrence this year.

What cancer inspired her to do: Kaufman describes herself as a creative person and lifelong caregiver. But after learning she had cancer, she felt a wave of insecurity over her identity. She worried about the loss of certain cognitive abilities due to the surgery; whether she would ever be creative again; whether she had become a burden to her family. Kaufman's solution to her problem was to help others. Art of the Brain, a nonprofit organization she founded at UCLA, pairs brain cancer patients with former patients or others who can serve as mentors. One of its programs, "Brain Buddies," provides patients with support, information, friendship and a hopeful new destiny. "These men and women are intuitive and have insight," Kaufman says of the program's volunteers. "They just know what to do." For more information, e-mail Judi@JudiKaufman.com.

Shari Roan