He's My Hero...Supporting Paul-Dean through Cancer

Hey there my name is Diane Lopez a family friend to Janet and Paul-Dean and I have a story to share about My Buddy Paul-Dean.

A Goof Ball and The Life of the Party, that’s Paul-Dean Martin. His smile and roar of laughter always fill a room, not to mention you might not get a word into the conversation. To know Paul-Dean is to love Paul-Dean.

He is a pillar in the community and founder of the PDM Young Actors Workshop. He was involved with the CHOC Follies annual singing and dancing event for over 10 years where millions of dollars were raised for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation in California. He’s performed onstage with his children, Phoebe and Maxwell. To children and parents involved with the studio, Paul-Dean is family; he is a big guy with an even bigger and kinder heart for his community.

In July 2023, Paul-Dean was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade 4, an aggressive brain tumor. Surrounded by family and friends, he proceeded with radiation treatments, often entertaining patients or the staff in the waiting room. His everyday fight song was “East Bound and Down” from Smokey and the Bandit, his favorite movie. He will not continue with chemotherapy as the disease has progressed and spread further into his brain.

Paul-Dean’s lovely wife, Janet, is a special education teacher for the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district and is dedicated to her family, friends, and those in need. As the sole provider, she must continue to work to keep their health insurance which pays for Paul Dean’s hospital stays, appointments, and treatments, not to mention daily necessities for the family. To be honest, at this time Janet has about seven days of paid time off left for the remainder of this school year as she spent days by PD’s side in August and September while he was in the hospital.

Your support will allow Janet to take days off without the stress of their insurance being terminated and loss of income. That being said, at this moment, Janet needs to spend as much time with her kids and Paul-Dean as the decision has been made to place Paul-Dean in a Board and Care facility with Hospice. His current prognosis is about six months or less of life expectancy.

Should there be additional funds after medical and memorial expenses, Janet, Phoebe, and Maxwell will explore opportunities in honoring Paul-Dean.

Thank You for your support.