Maruchi Mendez is the author of Finding Home: A Memoir of a Mother’s Undying Love and an Untold Secret along with the Spanish translation Buscando Mi Estrella. She also co-authored two different editions of 100 Things to Do in Miami Before You Die. She has lived in Miami, Florida for over 50 years, where she has raised her four children and grandchildren. She is the co-founder of JunTos Foundation, and is a fierce advocate of student-athletes’ health. She has received several awards and proclamations for her efforts to pass legislation that raises the standards of student-athletes’ cardiac screening.