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For cancer survivor Meredith McNerney, the fight will never stop.

In February 2007, McNerney, of Clarksburg, was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer resulting from the growth of Merkel cells in the outer layer of skin. The disease left her face scarred with a tumor. Since then she has worked to raise money for, and awareness of, the battle against cancer.

She founded the nonprofit A Message of Hope Cancer Fund in January 2008, almost one year after receiving her diagnosis. As its executive director, McNerney's philanthropic efforts have provided financial assistance to families affected by the disease.

She now hopes to help others nationwide with her self-published memoir, "Facing Cancer: A Spiritual Journey from Pain to Peace."

"I think the title is a little misleading. It's really about my Meniere's disease [an abnormality of the inner ear], kidney disease, hope and faith," McNerney said.

Released in November, the memoir also goes into depth about the physical challenges McNerney, who now is 33, faced when she was diagnosed. After undergoing rounds of tests, radiation therapy and surgeries, the remains of the tumor left her with scars and disfigurement.

"As a young woman who took pride in her appearance, I was devastated at the thought of what cancer would do to my face," she said. "I began to wonder what I would look like or if I would even recognize myself."

McNerney underwent several reconstructive surgeries to alleviate the scar on the left side of her face. While she may never look exactly as she did before her diagnosis, her positive outlook about the future remains intact, she said.

"Today, my scar is ‘freeing' from the shallow world we live in," she added. "With a big scar on my face, I am reminded that ‘perfection' is my enemy and that my life is better lived because I am more focused on helping others than obsessing about my appearance."

McNerney is at the three-year mark of her initial diagnosis, a critical point in her journey. Up to now, she faced a 50 percent chance the cancer could return, she said, though she "doesn't think about it." Now that she has reached the milestone and the cancer has not returned, her survival rate is 90 percent to 95 percent, she said.

A reading teacher at Highland Elementary School in Silver Spring, McNerney believed that the medical insurance she and her husband (who also a teacher in the Montgomery County Public Schools system) had would shield them from the financial burden associated with treatment.

While emerging from it relatively unscathed in financial terms, McNerney said others would not be so lucky. She founded the foundation to "offer direct financial assistance to families who face the monetary burdens associated with cancer."

According to testimonies published on the foundation's Web site, donated funds have gone toward costs associated with prescriptions, doctor's visits, groceries and gas cards. To prevent fraud, families seeking aid from the foundation are subjected to rigorous background checks, she said.

What started with McNerney and "a few close friends" within Montgomery County has now branched across several states. The foundation serves people in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and North Carolina with some staffers, three branch presidents and volunteers.

A Message for Hope has raised more than $150,000 for more than 35 local families who have members undergoing treatment.

McNerney said her goal is for the nonprofit to expand its services across the Eastern seaboard. She also hopes her daughters, 7-year-old Danielle and 5-year-old Kaitlyn, will benefit from their mother's journey.

"My message will be spread through the organization and in the lessons I will teach my daughters," she said.