The photo of dad smiling while wearing a Hawaiian Lei was taken on June 22, 2019 at the Surprise 50th Anniversary Celebration I threw for him and my mom. By September, dad was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and his 9 month battle began...

I took the photo of this amazing sunset (along with some video) across the street from mom and dad's place in Ballston Spa at the Saratoga Airport on Sunday, May 31. I showed dad the video the next day, June 1, as he lay in his hospital bed. He stared at the screen and took in its beauty. This would be the last sunset dad would ever see in his lifetime...

The final photo of myself, dad, mom and their little chiweenie, Baxter, I took myself on June 2 by quickly setting up my iPhone on a little tripod. This was the day the hospital finally allowed us to bring Baxter in for a surprise visit as my dad's condition was worsening (this was all during the COVID pandemic mind you - not even service dogs were being allowed in since hospitals were on lockdown - so we are extremely grateful for this). Dad, even in his weakened condition, expressed his excitement and surprise and found the strength to hug and pet Baxter. Its amazing I even got this shot with Baxter looking at the camera and dad giving a smile and a weakened wave. He didn't have enough energy to do it again.

This would be the final family group shot we'd ever take as my dad lost his battle to Multiple Myeloma just 2 days later on June 4...

Help us honor my dad while making a difference in myeloma research.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), along with its research and medical industry partners, has fueled more studies, initiated more trials, developed more treatments, introduced more medicines, and have had a far greater impact than any other organization on myeloma. While the MMRF has made enormous progress, they still have much to do and cannot continue to do great research without your support.

Please consider joining me to fight multiple myeloma. Together we can make a difference.


About the MMRF:
A pioneer in precision medicine, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) seeks to find a cure for all multiple myeloma patients by relentlessly pursuing innovations that accelerate the development of precision treatments for cancer. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF has created the business model around cancer—from data to analytics to the clinic. The MMRF identifies barriers and then finds the solutions to overcome them, bringing in the best partners and aligning incentives in the industry to drive better outcomes for patients. Since its inception, the organization has collected thousands of samples and tissues, opened nearly 100 trials, helped bring 11 FDA-approved therapies to market, and built CoMMpass, the single largest genomic dataset for any cancer. Today, the MMRF is building on its legacy in genomics and is expanding into immune-oncology, as the combination of these two fields will be critical to making precision medicine possible for all patients. The MMRF has raised nearly $500 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. To learn more, visit themmrf.org.


Matching Gifts
Did you know you can double your impact in seconds? Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by their employees.  Find out if your employer offers this benefit! Visit the MMRF Matching Gifts website (themmrf.org/matchinggifts) or ask your Human Resources Department!