Our Mission
The Kim Wessling and Peter J. Martino Jr. Legacy Fund was established in 2026 by her family in the wake of Kim’s untimely passing. Kim lost her life in December 2025 after a short battle with secondary Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare but incredibly severe immune system disorder, complicated further by her Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic auto-immune disease. Kim was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher to so many and is so dearly missed.
To carry forward her legacy, the Fund was established by her husband and family to:
(a) establish a scholarship program for the advancement of women in education; and
(b) advance scientific and medical research to help others fighting HLH and/or living with Systemic lupus so others have a better chance at surviving and thriving.
TEACH FORWARD
The Kim Wessling Martino Scholarship for Advancing Women in Education
A program of the Kim Wessling and Peter J. Martino Jr. Legacy Fund
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
Established in memory of Kim, TEACH FORWARD, The Kim Wessling Martino Scholarship for Advancing Women in Education provides scholarship opportunity to the next generation of budding teachers.
Inspired by her mother, Carmella Wessling, who was a lifelong kindergarten teacher and active grandmother, Kim also dedicated her life to children as a stay-at-home mother, grandmother, and teacher and believed fervently in the power of education in adolescence.
Kim graduated from Winthrop High School in 1977. While there, she starred on and co-captained the Lady Vikings basketball team that won the Northeast Conference Championship and Eastern Massachusetts Championship in her senior year. While at Winthrop High School Kim also earned varsity letters in Women’s Track and in Women’s Softball. Kim went on to captain the Women’s Varsity Basketball team at Salem State and led the nation in rebounds per game in multiple seasons while completing her baccalaureate degree and graduating in 1982.
After staying home to raise her own four children, Kim returned to school in her 40s to obtain a master’s degree in teaching from Lesley University. Kim went on to briefly teach science at Brown Middle School in Chelsea followed by a long tenure as a beloved science teacher at Saugus’ Belmonte Upper Elementary School for over 20 years. The Covid-19 Pandemic forced her into an early retirement due to her auto-immune disease but she could not stay away from teaching and quickly returned to the profession as a pre-school teacher in her hometown of Winthrop, Massachusetts, where she worked up until her untimely death. This scholarship was established by her family shortly thereafter to keep her love of education and legacy alive.
This scholarship will be awarded yearly to an applicant showing academic prowess who is pursuing an educational degree in teaching (or a related field) with a preference for someone passionate about early education, STEM, and a commitment to advancing equity for women and girls.
Awards are renewable up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s or graduate degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent), and maintaining a major in education or related field. To learn more, click “To Apply” below.
Lupus & HLH Research
Kim was diagnosed with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) later in life. She suffered from chronic pain and fatigue that came in flares, and was often sick from being more susceptible to illnesses due to a suppressed immune system. Kim never let lupus slow her down and continued her work as a teacher and being an active grandmother and caregiver to her six grandchildren.
The cause of SLE is not medically certain and there is no known cure. The severity of the disease varies from person-to-person though many can live a near normal lifespan. There is much still to learn about the disease, its management and hopefully its eventual cure.
In late November 2025, Kim became sick. After over a week of an unrelenting fever, she was taken to the emergency room and admitted. After a short 2-3 days, the doctors diagnosed her with secondary HLH, a rare blood disorder, which can be triggered by an infection, malignancy or an auto-immune disease. Her condition with HLH was only complicated further by her systemic lupus. Over the course of eight days, Kim’s condition became progressively worse even while on life-saving medications and support. She tragically passed on December 16, 2025 at the age of 66. They have not determined the cause of her HLH.
HLH took a vibrant, loving, and active soul from the world in an incredibly short time unfortunately showing just how ferocious the disease can be and just how much there is still left to learn about it. We hope that with continued research, medicine will advance and others will not have to suffer the same fate that Kim did.
In her memory, the Fund is raising money for the advancement of medical and scientific research related to autoimmune, immune-mediated, and hematologic diseases, including but not limited to lupus and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).