March 5, 2025

Francine Ducas & Maryse Bouchard

Two people united by myeloma to challenge the disease 1 km at a time

“I am Francine Ducas, an active woman with a passion for life. I had a job I loved and activities that brought me joy, when I started to feel very tired and experienced pain that I thought was muscular. I consulted the doctor who, following a blood test, referred me to the hematology department. It was on February 14, 2007, Valentine’s Day 18 years ago, that I received the GIFT of my cancer diagnosis…multiple myeloma.”

“My name is Maryse Bouchard, and I just turned 67 years old. I met the intruder who turned my life upside down in 2008, just before my 50th birthday. Its name was myeloma, and it was discovered during a routine blood test, thanks to the vigilance of my family doctor.”

Together, we helped organize what is now called the Multiple Myeloma March with Myeloma Canada.

Read their story