How Stars Align

For Holly Hollis, spring 2018 was shaping up to be the best ever. At 34, the Ruston, Louisiana, native’s career as an attorney and Director of Human Resources at Baton Rouge-based MMR Group was blossoming. She and her fiancé, Mark Stars, were looking forward to a fall wedding and planning their shared future together. Then, one morning in a doctor’s office, everything changed.

During an annual appointment, Holly’s doctor discovered a lump in her breast. Two weeks later, the results of a biopsy confirmed her doctor’s suspicions: Holly was diagnosed with Stage IV, metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), meaning that her cancer had spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes. Statistically accounting for only 10%–15% of breast cancers, TNBC tends to spread faster than other types of breast cancers, and is difficult to treat. Faced with a life-changing diagnosis and limited treatment options, Holly and Mark elected not to wait until the following November for their wedding. A week after her diagnosis, they were married in a small, intimate ceremony, surrounded by close family and friends.  “She was unlike anyone I ever met,” says Holly’s husband, Mark Stars. “Beautiful, strong-willed, kind-hearted. Every day, I am thankful she was a part of my life.”

During the four years that followed, Holly battled her cancer tirelessly. Her journey, which she chronicled on her blog “The Stars Align” from the time of her diagnosis until her death in April 2022, touched the lives of thousands.

Holly was not only a fierce fighter, but also an inspiration to all who had the privilege of crossing her path. Friends and colleagues described her as a person with an unquenchable zest for life, who became fast friends with those around her, including her surgical oncologist Mindy Bowie, M.D.

The resolve with which Holly approached her treatment took many forms. Determined not to lose her hair while undergoing chemotherapy at the Woman’s Cancer Pavilion in partnership with Woman’s Hospital, Mary Bird Perkins and Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, Holly employed cold cap therapy, wearing a special headpiece filled with a refrigerant to cool the scalp and reduce hair loss. From her hair, to her career, Holly brought optimism and determination to every opportunity, friendship and challenge. “She just had a ‘no-quit, never-give-up, never surrender’ attitude,” says Jeramiah Blum, her friend and a Vice President at MMR Group. “She did everything 100%. It was inspiring to be her colleague and, most of all, her friend.”

Tragically, after a four-year battle with breast cancer, Holly’s journey came to an end in April 2022. But her spirit lives on. To honor Holly’s memory, her friends and family created the Holly Hollis Stars Endowment Fund—a permanent endowment established within Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation to support cancer prevention and education efforts throughout Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi in perpetuity.

MMR Group, a corporate partner of Mary Bird Perkins, is the anchor donor for the fund. “Holly was an inspiration to all,” says Amber Leach, a friend and coworker at MMR. “We want to help honor her life and her legacy."

Since 2018, MMR has supported Mary Bird Perkins’ cancer education and early detection efforts by participating in the Prevention on the Go Workplace Program, which deploys a mobile medical clinic to bring cancer screenings and educational programs to company employees on-site. Through philanthropic contributions, MMR also supports Mary Bird Perkins by underwriting programs that deliver cancer education and detection to communities through Louisiana and Mississippi—an effort that was particularly near to Holly Stars’ heart. 

“When Mary Bird Perkins hosted mobile cancer screenings at MMR, Holly was the first in line and would encourage others to take advantage of life saving services,” Mark says. “She felt a responsibility to educate and share with others so that they wouldn’t have to go through what she was going through. It gave her a strong sense of purpose, fueled her faith, and helped her make sense of the diagnosis.”

In commemoration of Holly’s 40th heavenly birthday, her family invites the countless individuals whose lives she touched to join the Holly Hollis Stars Endowment Fund, helping to ensure that her passion for educating others on the importance of early detection and prevention, would live on.

Those interested in honoring Holly’s legacy by supporting her fund and donating to the Holly Hollis Stars Endowment Fund, click here.