Matt Goldman is a myeloma hero! He is part of the team climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in February 2017 for raising funds for the MMRF. We are proud to be associated with Matt.
Matt is member of our Myeloma patient panel which interviews eminent myeloma experts from all over the world on the CureTalks platform. He has also co-hosted talks discussing myeloma research funding raising, work stress and myeloma, young adult cancer fertility preservation and nutrition.
You can read Matt’s myeloma story here.
And in Matt’s words,
‘This past May I went past the five year mark from my multiple myeloma diagnosis. As we now know, it’s an incurable blood cancer. Since I was diagnosed there have been a lot of advances in treatments that make myeloma manageable. But there is still no cure. Five years is a big milestone. I continue to do chemo every week to keep the myeloma under control. The goal is to maintain stability as long as possible. Side effects of the chemo are a lowered immune system and anemia. But I’ve managed to stay active which is also important for managing the disease.
In February 2017, along with 5 other patients and 10 individuals who have had their lives impacted by myeloma, I will be climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania Africa. We are raising funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), which is a leading organization in helping to find a cure. Kilimanjaro is 19,000 feet high. The journey will take 8 days and cover over 40 miles. The altitude for me will be a challenge given my low blood counts. This past weekend, my Kilimanjaro team rendezvoused in Colorado to meet each other face to face and to do a practice climb. We hiked up Mt Bierstadt, which stands at 14,060 feet. It wasn’t easy, but I made it. Reaching the peak was an exciting and emotional moment. It brought back all I’ve been through and also reminded me of the friends I have lost to the cancer. I’m climbing for me and I’m climbing for those who aren’t with us or aren’t in condition to do this. I feel quite fortunate. Reaching the peak was a life changing and life defining moment. I can only imagine the emotions and exhilaration when we reach the top of Kilimanjaro.
As I said, I am raising funds for the MMRF and I am reaching out to you to ask for your help in achieving my goal of raising $10,000. Any amount helps. No donation is too small. You can simply follow the link at the end of this email if you’d like to donate.’
My Mt Kilimanjaro Climb to Raise Funds for MMRF
We are with you Matt, to Mt. Kilimanjaro and back!