Personal stories of myeloma

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Collage of people of different ages and races from the myeloma community

There is no single myeloma experience

Myeloma touches the lives of tens of thousands of Canadians. Whether you are living with the disease, caring for someone who is, or connected another way, your experience and your story are important. We strive to share stories representing the multitude of experiences myeloma can bring.

There is no single myeloma experience

Myeloma touches the lives of tens of thousands of Canadians. Whether you are living with the disease, caring for someone who is, or are connected another way, your experience and your story are important. We strive to share stories representing the multitude of experiences myeloma can bring.

Filter these stories by topic, or scroll through them chronologically.

Personal stories

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man
Spotlight on Steve Bell

Just keep going

December, 2022

I was completely shocked when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February of 2019. I was 35 years old.

woman
Spotlight on Elaine Letourneau

Honouring my mom, Lorraine

November, 2022

My mom Lorraine was diagnosed in 2001 with smouldering myeloma (SMM) when she was 68 years old. Of course, we had never heard of multiple myeloma, much less this smouldering business.

man with a cane
Spotlight on Paul Elder

Determined to never stop!

October, 2022

Paul and I have been married for 57 years, and we’ve been living in Wasaga Beach, Ontario since 2004. In May of 2021, while playing with our ‘Covid puppy’ at a local dog park, Paul took an awkward fall when he stepped into a hidden hole. He hit his head

man
Spotlight on Christiane Oana

Devoted to finding a cure

September, 2022

My husband Richard was diagnosed with myeloma in the spring of 2008. He was 54 years old. At the time of his diagnosis, we knew absolutely nothing about myeloma.

woman
Spotlight on Kundan Uppal-Dubinsky

Giving back and being grateful

August, 2022

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the very end of August of 2016. I was 54 years old but for sure I had been living with it for at least 2 years before.

black woman
Spotlight on Paule Désir

A story of hope and faith

July, 2022

My name is Paule Désir. In April of 2021, at the age of 53, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Fifty three years of a life with its share of ups and downs!

woman
Spotlight on Natalie Kononenko

Introducing myself

June, 2022

I was born in a refugee camp in Germany. They were called DP, or displaced persons camps in those days and that is where my parents ended up when they escaped the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

man
Spotlight on Mark Mackenzie

Why I’m giving back

May, 2022

Just over two years ago, in April of 2020, I woke up one morning with a soreness in my left side, in my lower ribcage. I’m a mariner and I was 56 at the time. I like working hard and I like riding my bike, sailing, snowshoeing, and hiking. At my age, bein

woman
Spotlight on Jocelyn Kervin

At 46, giving back and staying colourful with myeloma

April, 2022

In the fall of 2017, life was looking pretty good! I was 41 years old, happily single and living it up in Toronto. I was just getting into running, and I had landed a dream job as a Digital Literacy Consultant with the YRDSB after 18 years as a music teac

man and woman
Spotlight on Erin & Jean Guy Belzile

Our journey: A rural perspective

March, 2022

My husband Jean Guy was chief of the Emergency Medical Services in our district of Nipissing, Ontario for 20 years. By profession, I was a registered nurse and spent 35 years working in the ER. When Jean Guy retired in August of 2019 at the age of 62, he