Thinking back to his childhood, most of safety Quan Martin's fondest memories include his grandmother. The Florida native specifically remembers a time when she moved in with Martin and his siblings, waking them up for school and getting them dressed before sending them off for the day toting bags of candy.

"I can go on and on about my grandmother," Martin recalled. "She created a lot of memories for us, but she was just always there and always cared for her grandkids and really just put us first and it showed. I never took that for granted."

From the outside, it was impossible to know that Martin's grandmother had a chronic disease. However, she battled lupus for "half of her life," causing her constant fatigue, soreness and flare-ups that warranted constant trips in and out of the hospital.

Martin's grandmother passed away in May of last year from lupus. Just five months later, Martin's mother was diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune disease. Her lupus diagnosis stirred emotions within Martin because of what he watched his grandmother go through during her battle with the disease.

"It was tough just not knowing what to really think, just seeing my grandma go through it for my whole life," Martin said. "Just knowing how it affected my grandmother, and she passed away from it in May of 2023, and my mom was diagnosed with it in October, so it was a lot going on last year."

With the 2024 league-wide "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative returning in Weeks 13 and 14 of the NFL season, it was a no-brainer for Martin to choose the Lupus Foundation of America as his benefactor for the second consecutive year.

"For me, lupus is something that's near and dear to my family," Martin said. "My grandmother had it last year, and now my mom is dealing with it so it just means a lot to me to go and show awareness to that specific disease."

Lupus, as described on the Lupus Foundation of America's website, is a chronic disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of your body. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that one's immune system attacks healthy tissue rather than infections.

A leader in the fight against lupus for over 40 years, the Lupus Foundation of America works to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through funded research studies into cures, as well as expanding access to treatment and care for the chronic autoimmune disease.

A little over a year after her diagnosis, Martin says his mom is "doing pretty good."

"There's flare ups, you never know when it's coming, and hospital appointments and visits," Martin added. "We're seeing a bunch of different doctors and trying to get her the best care possible."

Donation to the Lupus Foundation provides funding for research on the causes of the disease, better ways to control it and finding a cure. Anyone looking to contribute can check out The Lupus Foundation of America’s website for more information.