Why I'm Raising Money for Multiple Myeloma 💚

I first heard the word myeloma in 2013. My sister and I were at the Tassie Circus Festival and had to call Dad from an old red phone booth on the property. That’s when he told us he had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma — a type of blood cancer. We knew nothing about it.

From then on, we sailed with Dad on his journey — faced the swells, flowed with the currents — until finally, the big wave came crashing down. Mylodysplasia syndrome was added to the chart, and in the end, the ship sank and Dad died on 12 April 2020.

There’s no cure. No early test. And no clear cause. Around 22,000 Australians are living with myeloma right now. It’s more common in older people, and men slightly more than women — but that’s not always the case. My school friend Kathy was diagnosed a year before Dad. She had stem cell treatment, but it only gave her another 12–18 months. She died in 2018.

I’m raising money for Myeloma Australia is the only Australian myeloma specific not-for-profit organisation. We support, educate, inform, empower and bring hope to people who are living with myeloma, and their loved ones. We also facilitate myeloma research in Australia; educate health professionals involved in the care and treatment of those living with myeloma; raise community awareness and understanding of myeloma; and advocate for improved patient access to the latest treatments at affordable prices.

I'm doing this for our Big Bad Baba. 💚