A woman from the Cobourg, Ont., area who was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma is rallying the community to raise awareness and funds for research.
Four months ago, Melissa Smith was told she had the form of blood cancer after enduring a year of excruciating pain in her ribs. She says medical experts had originally deemed her ongoing pain was the result of a rib fracture sustained last summer after falling from a roof shed while doing yard work.
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“A year later I was still in horrible pain,” said the 47-year-old. “Every time I went to the hospital to find out what was causing the excruciating pain in my ribs and ask for relief, they said it was just a fracture, and that it still needed time to heal.
“I finally reached a breaking point. I sat in the emergency room of my local hospital and said I wouldn’t leave until I got a CT scan. When I finally did get it, the scan showed abnormal lesions across my spine.”
According to the Myeloma Canada, a national charitable organization that supports people facing the cancer, multiple myeloma is the second-most common form of blood cancer, impacting the plasma (immune) cells found in bone marrow.
The organization, founded in 2005, says 11 Canadians are diagnosed with the disease each day.
Smith, who lives on a farm in Baltimore just north of Cobourg, is midway through a 16-round chemotherapy treatment which initially required a 45-minute drive each way to Oshawa. However, a hematologist has found a way for her to receive treatments closer to home.
“You know, I am a glass half-full kind of person,” she said. “Still, I’m very thankful that my doctor helped me access the treatments I need, regardless of where I live. Chemo days take a toll on your body. Driving 65 kilometres back and forth to Oshawa would have been extremely hard if not near impossible for me.”
Congratulations to the tenacious Justin Moore from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who was interviewed on Global News for his upcoming 86.88 km trail run to honour his late father and raise funds and awareness for multiple myeloma research. Watch interview here: https://t.co/4yiV1w0U72
— Myeloma Canada (@MyelomaCanada) August 12, 2022
Martine Elias, executive director of Myeloma Canada, says 50 per cent of Canadians living with myeloma who live in rural settings have challenges accessing the required treatments, clinical trials and specialists.
“As a result, these patients and their families have to deal with both the traumatic impact of living with myeloma as well as the severe financial and emotional burden of having to travel to another treatment centre,” she said.
That’s a key reason why Smith has rallied at least two dozen family members and friends to participate in the fourth annual Cobourg Multiple Myeloma March scheduled for Sept. 25. It’s one of more than three dozen walks across Canada in September to help raise funds for Myeloma Canada in September.
The Cobourg walk will begin at 10 a.m. at the Lions Pavilion at 55 Queen St. To register, contact Rebecca Flint via email at [email protected]
Smith’s team “The Baltimore John’s Blood Brothers” has already surpassed $17,000, leapfrogging their initial $10,000 goal within the first month of fundraising.
All funds raised support myeloma research and drug access, Myeloma Canada says, with a national goal this year of raising $750,000. For people not near a physical march, they can participate in a a Virtual March option
Smith says she wasn’t expecting the “outpouring of support” for the walk. She says she hopes to be eligible for a stem cell transplant when her condition stabilizes. However, she will be required to temporarily relocate to Toronto if approved for the procedure.
“My friends, colleagues and family were all ready to donate funds for the cause,” she said. “I even had colleagues reach out to offer blood or bone marrow donation if I needed it.”
What is multiple myeloma?
