Martha of Bethany (Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She is the middle child of her family with Lazarus being the eldest and her sister Mary Magdalene the youngest. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

The name Martha is a Latin transliteration of the Koine Greek Μαρθα, itself a translation of the Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ, "The mistress" or "the lady", from מרה "mistress", feminine of מר "master". The Aramaic form occurs in a Nabatean inscription found at Puteoli, and now in the Naples Museum; it is dated AD. 5 (Corpus Inscr. Semit., 158); also in a Palmyrene inscription, where the Greek translation has the form Marthein.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to the master's discourse. The name of their village is not recorded, nor any mention of whether Jesus was near Jerusalem:

Shonda Schilling (born November 23, 1967 in Dundalk, Maryland) is founder of the Shade Foundation of America. She is married to professional baseball player Curt Schilling.

Shonda graduated from Towson State College majoring in journalism, member of the Iota Delta chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. She worked in television production for Home Team Sports in Baltimore until marrying Curt Schilling in 1992. They have four children: Gehrig (5/27/95); Gabriella (5/22/97); Grant (10/13/99); and Garrison (6/27/02). The family resides in Medfield, Massachusetts.^{[citation needed]}

Schilling was diagnosed with stage 2 malignant melanoma in February 2001. A total of five surgeries left 25 scars crisscrossing her back, arms, legs and chest.^{[citation needed]} The media picked up on her skin cancer scare during the 2001 World Series, when her husband Curt won the World Series co-MVP honor for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Her story was featured in People Magazine, Glamour, Family Circle, Pregnancy, Good Housekeeping and ABC's "The View." Shonda invited Good Morning America into the operating room to witness her fifth and final surgery in order to inspire others to have their skin checked and to alter their sun habits. In 2002, she accepted the Melanoma Monday national spokeswoman role with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). An overwhelming response from fellow melanoma survivors^{[citation needed]} resulted in Shonda creating the Shade Foundation of America.

Tom Sannicandro (born March 22, 1956) is an American attorney and businessman, currently serving as a State Representative in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for Framingham and Ashland, and a leader on civil rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. As Chair of the Ashland School Committee in 2004, he beat Mary Connaughton for the seat. Sannicandro has been called "a strong advocate for education funding and a strong voice for people with disabilities."

Sannicandro is the father of a child with special needs under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and has leveraged these circumstances into a career, advocating as an attorney on behalf of disability needs, in particular children. — And now as a seated member of the Massachusetts, House of Representatives, endeavors to expand his contributions towards proactive avocation within the body. The implicit need for such representation is reflected by the two thirds majority who entrusted this seat upon such a platform. In turn Sannicandro has implemented a website allowing his constituents fluid access and ability to influence the process.

Marianne Leone Cooper (born January 2, 1952) is an American film and television actress, screenwriter, and essayist. She is likely best known for her recurring role as Christopher Moltisanti's mother on The Sopranos.

Cooper was born Marianne Leone in Boston, Massachusetts. Her screenplay, Hurricane Mary, is a true life story of a mother's struggles to have her disabled twin daughters integrated into the public school system. It is being made into a movie starring Chris Cooper, William H. Macy and Meryl Streep.

Leone's memoir, Knowing Jesse: A Mother's Story of Grief, Grace, and Everyday Bliss, was published in September 2010 by Simon & Schuster. Her essays frequently appear in The Boston Globe.

Leone married actor Chris Cooper in 1983. In 1987, their son, Jesse Lanier Cooper, was born. Three months premature, Jesse developed a cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral palsy. After searching for the best schools for children with special needs, Cooper and Leone moved to Kingston, Massachusetts, where they became strong advocates for disabled children.