Why Author Jonathan Gluck Supports the MMRF

In 2003, Jonathan Gluck went to see his doctor about lingering pain in his hip—pain that, over the course of a year, had grown so severe he was having trouble picking up his newborn daughter. His doctor ordered an MRI.

Jonathan was floored when he learned he had a cancerous lesion on his hip. At just 38 years old, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. One doctor told Jonathan he might have as little as 18 months to live.

As he was processing his new reality, lining up his care team, and making a treatment plan, Jonathan’s hematologist said something that has stuck with him ever since.

“He said to me, ‘You’re probably feeling very unlucky, but in a way you’re actually lucky. We’re on the verge of some big breakthroughs for this cancer,’” Jonathan remembered. “I thought he was just trying to give me an ounce of hope. But he turned out to be right. Each new treatment that’s come along—and the fact that I’ve responded well to many of them—has made me believe that.”

Over the two-plus decades since Jonathan was first diagnosed, these advances have kept him one step ahead of the disease. In 2023, Jonathan underwent successful CAR T-cell therapy and has been in remission since.

Despite multiple relapses and grueling rounds of treatment, Jonathan has been able to see both of his kids grow up, be there for his wife, go on bucket list fly-fishing trips, and keep doing work that he loves. More recently, he published an acclaimed memoir, An Exercise in Uncertainty, about his experience with myeloma.

Jonathan sees a direct line between the MMRF’s work and the scientific progress that has allowed him to live a full life with myeloma.

“The MMRF has led more than 100 clinical trials over the years, and they’re at the forefront of new research,” he said. “That’s tremendously important to me.”

Jonathan has also relied on the MMRF as a trusted source of information and guidance. In fact, he first learned about CAR T-cell therapy on an MMRF webinar, right as he was coming out of his last remission and getting sicker.  Soon after, he and his doctor started talking about CAR T as an option.

“Everything I got from the MMRF was relevant, helpful, intelligently presented,” Jonathan said. “You can trust it. It’s authoritative.”

Though Jonathan has lived with myeloma for more than 20 years, he still has to navigate never-ending uncertainty and fear of another relapse, likening living with the disease to sleeping next to a hibernating bear.

“You might feel safe for a certain period of time while the bear is asleep, but you also know the bear’s going to wake up,” he said. “And when he does, he’s going to be hungry. That’s the feeling I’ve had for many years.”

Finding meaning, purpose, and community has been a salve. Over the years, his family has fundraised for the MMRF and attended the Foundation’s walks. He is also donating a portion of the proceeds from An Exercise in Uncertainty to the MMRF.

“Their work provides hope that there’s always something new around the corner,” he said. “I owe a lot of why I’m here to the MMRF.”