By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Kyle Kelley Photography, Jenn Turner & Contributed
If only the good die young, then Amanda Pair’s heavenly debut was all too soon. A courageous light, Amanda spent her time on Earth as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Known for her exuberant love and contagious smile, Amanda’s legacy lives on through her two daughters, Ava (13) and Anna (11), and a nonprofit created in her name, the Amanda Pair Foundation.
As the collective effort of Allen Pair (Amanda’s husband), Matthew Morgan (Amanda’s brother) and Michelle Tubinis (Amanda’s good friend), the Amanda Pair Foundation was created in August 2022 just two months after Amanda passed away from lung cancer on June 5, 2022.
An Alabama native, Amanda studied marketing and communications at Auburn University–where she met the love of her life, Allen. The two tied the knot in 2007 and moved to Birmingham, where Amanda developed a successful photography business.
After welcoming Ava and Anna into the world, Amanda took a step back from work to prioritize being a mother, later on volunteering with the PTO board at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park (VHELP) when her children became school age. Fueled by her servant’s heart, Amanda began serving on staff at The Church at Liberty Park towards the end of her life, making it her mission to bless others in need.
When tragedy struck the Pair family in September 2021, Amanda took her cancer diagnosis better than most, cracking jokes to keep everyone’s spirits high.
“It never really changed who she was,” Michelle says. “She still was dead set on making those memories and being a great mom and doing all of those things. There were no excuses for her, at all. If she could get out of bed, she was there.”
After assessing Amanda for potential lymphoma, doctors diagnosed Amanda with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung, despite her being a healthy, non-smoker. She began chemotherapy and as her test results showed her having ROS1, Amanda began taking an oral chemotherapy medication.
By November 2021, Amanda seemed to have made nearly a full recovery. That December, her test results showed her progress at 90-percent resolution to which everyone rejoiced for this miracle.
A repeat scan in January 2022 showed Amanda as having no more cancer. Her first reaction was to thank the Lord for His healing.
“We were truly blessed with the research and from God to have the extra time to be with her,” Matthew says in an Amanda Pair Foundation video testimonial.
The following month, Amanda became well enough to run the last mile of the Mercedes-Benz Kids Marathon with her daughter. Despite some difficulty, Amanda finished strong with a smile on her face.
To celebrate Amanda’s 40th birthday, her family and some friends took a trip to the British Virgin Islands. While there, she began experiencing a slight cough, prompting her to get another scan.
Sadly, the scan showed regrowth of the initial tumor, so Amanda began chemotherapy again.
“She kept us all laughing with her jokes,” Allen says. “She knew when it came back that she wasn’t going to make it. She would just keep going. I was so amazed at her strength and courage. She was a very, very strong woman. Her faith got her through everything.”
This time around, the cancer came back with a vengeance, quickly deteriorating Amanda’s body but not her spirit. Towards the end of the spring semester, VHELP held a special fifth grade graduation parade, and despite her illness, Amanda saw to it that she went and supported her daughter.
“She was so sick that day, but she was determined to be there,” Allen says. “I had to practically carry her to the car. She didn’t want to miss anything.”
That May, the cancer spread to Amanda’s brain, so she began radiation treatment. By Memorial Day weekend, Amanda began having seizures, forcing her to be hospitalized in the ICU.
Amanda spent 10 days in the hospital before Jesus called her home.
“I wasn’t ready to lose her,” Allen says. “After I got past a certain stage in grief, I was ready to stand up and keep going. For this terrible thing to happen to me, I am so blessed to have friends, family and the community–that’s how I was able to get up off of the ground because of the encouragement and support that I received.”
Mere months after losing Amanda, Allen approached Matthew and Michelle about creating a nonprofit to raise money and awareness for cancer research. After drafting their articles of incorporation, the team had the idea to create a race in Liberty Park, paying tribute to the community that Amanda loved.
They partnered with the PTO board at VHELP, creating the inaugural Legacy Run the weekend before Thanksgiving that year. The community raised more than $30,000, allowing the Amanda Pair Foundation to donate equal amounts towards their three fundraising initiatives: caring for people, supporting cancer research and investing in the next generation.
“I really hope that we can use this foundation to help heal people, save lives, save souls,” Matthew says in the video testimonial. “I feel this is a way to really help people heal from the inside out. We really want to have more survivors instead of victims.”
Since its inception, the Amanda Pair Foundation has donated more than $47,253 to families affected by cancer. One of the foundation’s most touching stories came through a cardiologist’s referral.
A 40-year-old man who was diagnosed with cancer had exhausted his savings, trying to stay ahead of his medical bills. He was still working, and he was still helping raise his children, taking them to football and baseball practice–all while going through chemotherapy.
The Amanda Pair Foundation donated money to help pay for the man’s mortgage, utilities and medical bills, allowing him to prioritize his health, take a step back and rest. During Christmas 2023, the foundation helped purchase Christmas presents for another cancer patient’s family, so he could enjoy the holiday with his children without pressure to buy gifts.
Little did anyone know that would be the man’s last Christmas with his family. Allen says one of the most heartbreaking parts of working with the foundation is that not all of the individuals they come to know and love will overcome their cancer journeys.
The only thing he as a volunteer can do is to live like Amanda–choosing to love unconditionally, blessing every person he can no matter the circumstance.
“Amanda wasn’t afraid of death,” Allen says. “She wasn’t afraid of needles. Her biggest fear was losing her hair. We saw that firsthand, and we don’t want people to have to worry about it. If they don’t have the means to buy it themselves, we are going to help them get it.”
One of Allen’s favorite parts of his job is being able to purchase high quality wigs for cancer patients who would like them. Seeing their faces light up as they try on their new wigs for the first time is a happy, contagious feeling, he says.
“We’ve found our identity in what it means to care for families,” Michelle says. “We’re really all about fulfilling needs during cancer treatment. One of the things that Allen has always said is the bills don’t stop–the money doesn’t stretch as far as you need it to when you’re battling cancer. Our job is to come in there and fill the gaps.”
In 2023, the foundation went on to host its Legacy Classic, and in 2024, it hosted both the classic and the Legacy Gala. From these events, the foundation raised more than $55,000 for ROS1 cancer research.
Yet, what arguably is the most impactful “legacy” of the foundation is the Amanda Pair Memorial Scholarship.
Partnering with the VHELP PTO board, the Amanda Pair Foundation donated the first $10,000 in proceeds from its first Legacy Run to a scholarship fund for local Vestavia Hills students. Scholarship recipients must be Vestavia Hills High School seniors who attended VHELP for at least three years.
During its first year, the scholarship committee received 26 applications and were able to award two students each with a $5,000 scholarship. In 2023, the foundation donated the first $18,000 of the Legacy Run’s proceeds to the scholarship fund, blessing three students each with $6,000 towards their college tuition.
“The outpouring of support for Amanda when she was sick was amazing,” Michelle says. “The way that people cared for her family is what we want to continue on because not everyone has the community that we have. We want to provide some semblance of what they had when Amanda was battling cancer.”
Thanks to Allen, Matthew, Michelle and hundreds of other volunteers, the Amanda Pair Foundation is making a real impact in the Vestavia Hills community and beyond, fostering tangible hope for cancer patients, survivors and their families. It is true that often good people pass away too soon.
However, the best way to memorialize their legacy is to continue blessing others and to continue loving unconditionally—or as Allen says, “to continue living like Amanda.” With the Amanda Pair Foundation at its forefront, the cure for all cancer may be just around the corner.
To learn more about the Amanda Pair Foundation, visit amandapair.org.
Support the Amanda Pair Foundation
The Amanda Pair Foundation will host the following fundraising events, and you can attend and be part of its life-giving missions. Read more about these events at amandapair.org/all-events.
Legacy Run
Nov. 23, 2024
Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park
amandapair.org/legacy-run
Legacy Gala
Feb. 8, 2025
Barber Motorsports
amandapair.org/all-events
Legacy Classic
April 21, 2025
Greystone Golf & Country Club
amandapair.org/legacy-classic
