How did you get involved with the MMRF?
When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February 2021, I needed to find hope. Not just hope in an abstract sense, but real, tangible hope rooted in research, action and progress. That’s what the MMRF represents to me. Their dedication to funding research, accelerating treatments, and supporting patients gives me something to hold onto. I’ve made wonderful friends through MMRF too, so in a way, I feel like a part of the MMRF family.
Why did you choose to participate in the MMRF Walk/Run?
Walking has always been part of my life. I’ve walked with my walking partner, four mornings a week for 30 years. I walked with a dear friend who trained with me and walked with me on the Alaska trek, another MMRF fundraiser. And I have walked with beautiful friends who, even in the face of insurmountable odds, have shown me how to live with vitality, intention and connection. Walking isn’t just moving your legs—it’s a declaration that we are still here, still living, still showing up.
The MMRF Walk is more than a fundraising opportunity to me (although funding MMRF is more important today than ever). It’s about solidarity, community, and the choice to walk beside one another. I walk because I can. I walk for those who can’t. I walk toward a future where myeloma is no longer a life sentence.
The Spirit of Hope is given to “individuals/groups that inspire hope and show extraordinary commitment to the MMRF.” What does being given the award mean to you?
Hope is not passive. I don’t just sit back and wish for something better. Hope demands choice and action. It’s choosing, every day, to move forward, to invest in science, to believe in possibilities. Receiving this award is deeply humbling because I don’t see myself as doing anything extraordinary—I am simply choosing to keep walking, to keep showing up, to keep saying, “I’m not done yet.”
And it’s really not about me. The Spirit of Hope award is for every person who wakes up and chooses to go on, to care, to stand beside someone in their hardest moments. It belongs to my family, my friends, my medical team, my writing group, my clients and everyone needs to believe in a future without myeloma.
How have you found perseverance in light of obstacles? Please share any stories that have given you strength.
I have developed perseverance because of the people who walk with me.
My Thursday morning writing group, where we hold space for each other’s stories, healing the parts of us that long to be made whole.
John Waller, Ben Canales, and Jim Aikman, who captured our MMRF Alaska fundraiser on film. Watching John, who was himself living with stage 4 colon cancer, sprint up mountains, chase down bears and elk, laughing all the way, made a deep impression on me. It solidified my intention to persevere and live with vitality and intentionality.
My family—my children, my husband, my brothers, my mother, my extended family and dear friends—who have walked this road with me, helping me ward off the loneliness that pulls at all of us who live with cancer.
And I’ve learned something powerful: being vulnerable, telling the truth, and saying “I need you” is the path to the deepest connection. That connection sustains me. It is what enables me to keep going.
Do you have a favorite mantra, quote, lyric that gives you strength?
Yes. My mantra is simple, and it has been with me since way before my cancer diagnosis: “Just keep walking and the view will change.” No matter what today brings, I can take the next step, and the one after that, and the one after that. Before long, things change.
My daughters and I also love this Glennon Doyle quote: “We can do hard things.” Glennon reminds us that we’re all doing hard things every single day, like loving and losing; caring for children and parents; battling addiction, illness, and loneliness; struggling in our jobs, and in our relationships; setting boundaries; and fighting for what we value.
Anything to add?
Yes. This walk, this award, and this moment are part of something bigger. They are part of a conversation I want to have with the world—about presence, resilience, and the power of walking together. This is why I write. This is why I walk. And this is why I invite you to walk with me.
This award is presented at every Walk/Run to a patient, caregiver, or family who inspires hope through their resilience, perseverance, and dedication to the MMRF and its mission.
Learn more about the Spirit of Hope award and the 2025 recipients.
