Fairmont native Martha Hoy took a negative and turned it into a positive, writing a book and helping children on two continents as she went.
Her book, “Lead with Your Heart,” started with a car crash in 2003.
“Three people passed away in that accident. I had 15 surgeries. It was a long recovery. That was kind of the catalyst that changed my life,” she said.
While Hoy was in the hospital, a friend brought her a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning,” a story about a Holocaust survivor who came out of it with a positive attitude and who helped a lot of people.
“I was in a horrible marriage at the time while I was recovering from all of this,” she said.
Hoy then met a man named Geofrey Mugisha from Uganda. Over a five-year friendship, she and Mugisha came together to help Uganda. Hoy became a nurse after recovering from her accident.
Hoy has been to Uganda twice this year. Both times she visited Bulamu Children’s Village where her friend Mugisha and his brother grew up. Uganda has 2.5 million orphans.
“They have around 850 children that they are caring for and very little resources,” she said.
The second time she traveled to Uganda, she met with Prince Fredrick Walugembe. In Uganda, the government implements rules but the royals deal in social issues.
Hoy has a strong bond with the Ugandan people. She’s come home with malaria and suffers from multiple sclerosis, but that doesn’t keep her from traveling to Africa.
“If you knew how wonderful these people are, none of those things matter anymore. None of them matter. They’re so loving. I’m treated with respect. They’re my family and I love them and they love me,” she said.
Hoy said she first started writing the book after she left her husband and went to Minnesota to stay with Mugisha’s brother, Ivan, who was adopted by friend Tracy West.
“I want people to know that no matter what happens to you in life that you have a choice on how you respond, and for me, I responded with love,” she said.
Hoy then went to Las Vegas and started the Mother Martha Family Foundation. Mugisha also started Amka Foundation Africa as a way to pay it forward.
“I always say my heart is split between United States and Uganda, so I decided that I wanted to help children here,” she said.
Hoy intends to return to Uganda every six months to help the foundations there. One thing she really wants to do is give access to better social programs.
“Only 11% of the population have access to electricity there. So yes, you have extreme poverty. The people that have, have a lot,” she said.
Hoy is in talks to have her story turned into a movie. She said she believes it will inspire more people and get the message out about her work. She wants to teach basic CPR and first aid when she visits Uganda in the spring.
Hoy said responding with love to her hardship has helped her become stronger and wiser. That same love came in return in her connection with
the Ugandan people when they were there for her through it.
“That really stuck with my heart. That’s where the connection with the people from Uganda began,” she said.
To learn more about Hoy and her work, visit mothermarthafamilyfoundation.org. All donations are tax deductible and go to children both in Uganda and U.S.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
