The 2011 TIME 100

What if you were told, at 37, you had three years to live? Kathy Giusti, diagnosed with multiple myeloma, decided to make memories for her 18-month-old daughter Nicole so she'd know she had a mom. But at the same time, marshaling her determination and knowledge of the world of pharma (she was the former head of Searle's worldwide arthritis franchise), she created the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Today, 165 million research dollars, four new approved drugs and 13 years later, Kathy is in remission but still pressing scientists and the FDA to work together efficiently. Now Nicole and her brother David not only know they have a mom; they know she's a hero.

Couric is the anchor of CBS Evening News