MARUCHI MENDEZ es el autor de Finding Home: A Memoir of a Mother’s Undying Love and an Untold Secret, along with the Spanish translation Buscando Mi Estrella. She has co-authored two different editions of 100 Things to Do in Miami Before You Die. Mendez is also the co-founder of the 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. She has lived in Miami for more than 50 years.