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At marathon, 72nd race for 72-year-old with cancer

kimberlya — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:30:45 +0000

At marathon, 72nd race for 72-year-old with cancer

Posted to: Sports Virginia Beach

The Virginian-Pilot
© March 17, 2013

VIRGINIA BEACH

Ten years ago, Don Wright crossed the 25-mile marker of his first marathon and said to himself, “I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to do this twice.”

Then he trudged across the finish line and made a revision. “I knew I’d do it again.”

Sunday’s Yuengling Shamrock Marathon at the Oceanfront was the 72-year-old Wright’s 72nd marathon.

His new goal of 100 marathons follows his recent milestone: 50 in 50 states.

It took nine years to accomplish, and every 26.2-mile race was completed under the veil of cancer.

In 2003, Wright, a Minnesota native, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that affects cells in bone marrow and can damage bone. He’d been suffering from sharp back pain and his doctor ordered a blood test.

“I denied it completely,” Wright said in a phone interview last week.

Incurable, Stage I myeloma has a median survival rate of five years, according to the American Cancer Society.

“I figured half the people live more than that and I figured I could get in that half.”

Wright had started running only a little more than a year before to get fit, but the diagnosis inspired him to run a marathon.

His newfound love of long-distance running ended up taking him across the country. He’s run the Boston, Chicago and New York City marathons, trekked through towering sequoias in California and powered through hurricane-driven rain.

He finished in 5:16:04 on Sunday, fighting off a cramp in the final 100 yards.

Wright’s training is possible thanks to a pill, Pomalyst, which keeps the disease at bay. He signed up for the clinical trial five years ago and his cancer markers have remained stable.

“Every month I go get my blood tested and every month I wonder if it’s gonna go up,” he said. “That’s the history of myeloma. Eventually, cancer figures a way around the drug.”

One of Wright’s favorite parts of marathons is just before the start. He blocks out all the noise and reflects.

“I think about how extremely lucky I am because I have this disease that’s terminal,” he said. “Fifteen people that have been my friends aren’t with us anymore because of myeloma.”

Under his “E-Race Cancer” banner, he raises money for Team Continuum and the Tackle Cancer Foundation. Both help pay cost-of-living bills for cancer patients.

Three or four decades ago, Wright discovered a quote from the Dalai Lama on a placemat: “Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece.” He tacked it up in his closet.

During each doctor’s visit, he’s asked to rate three things on a scale from 0 to 10. Wright writes 0 for level of fatigue and level of pain.

But for quality of life, “I always put 10.”

The International Myeloma Foundation Launches Initiative to Find Cure for Multiple Myeloma

kimberlya — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 05:21:43 +0000

THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION LAUNCHES THE BLACK SWAN RESEARCH INITIATIVE™ TO DEVELOP THE VERY FIRST DEFINITIVE CURE FOR MULTIPLE MYELOMA

—The Initiative Aims to Eradicate all Minimal Residual Disease to Achieve a Cure—

—It Is Led by an Elite Team of Myeloma Experts from Major Medical Institutions in the US and Europe—

North Hollywood, CA, March 12, 2013 – The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) – improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure – today announced the launch of the BLACK SWAN RESEARCH INITIATIVE™ (BSRI™), a unique project to develop the first actual cure for myeloma. The BSRI is led by a multi-national consortium of leading myeloma experts who see that the opportunity to cure the first cohort of patients is now within reach.

“Through medical innovation we can already achieve long-term complete remissions in 15 to 20 percent of myeloma patients,” said Brian G.M. Durie, MD, Chairman and Co-Founder of the IMF. “Now by increasing the level of innovation further, we’re ready to bridge the gap from long-term remission to cure, by identifying the best treatments at the best time to achieve the best objective, our objective being a new definition of cure based on a complete eradication of any residual myeloma.”

These facets of our initiative will be pursued simultaneously, led by an elite team of experts from the United States and Europe:

Objective – defining a cure as MRD-Zero™, the eradication of Minimal Residual Disease. In the past, most cancer “cures” were defined simply by waiting a fixed number of years to see what happened. Now, with a new understanding of myeloma at the cellular and molecular levels, the IMF is developing ultra-sensitive tests to accurately measure MRD and define its absence as a cure.

Treatments – new trials will enable us to select the most effective anti-MRD drug combinations for patient subgroups that will be identified at the cellular and molecular levels in order to optimize the efficacy of treatments.

Timing of treatment – early intervention, at onset or relapse, can eradicate the most residual disease.

“Just as people who had only seen white swans could not imagine the existence of black swans, until very recently we could not even consider the possibility of a cure,” said Susie Novis, President and Co-founder of the IMF. “But now, we have created a paradigm shift by taking an entirely new approach to monitoring treatment efficacy to achieve a cure, something we couldn’t even imagine before. We may actually see the first myeloma patients restored to a normal, healthy life, free of their cancer for the first time ever.”

Initial work began on the BLACK SWAN RESEARCH INITIATIVE in the summer of 2012. Now with the full launch, the initiative will result in new testing capabilities and new clinical trials before the end of this year.

Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a cancer of cells in the bone marrow that affects production of red cells, white cells and stem cells and can damage bone. It is growing in numbers and affecting increasingly younger people.

Information can be found at www.blackswan.myeloma.org.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION

Celebrating its 22^nd anniversary, the International Myeloma Foundation reaches more than 240,000 members in 120 countries worldwide. A 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients and their families, the IMF focuses on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. To date, the IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned hotline, and established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

CONTACT: Deanne Eagle

(917) 837-5866

Tackle Cancer Foundation Attends ASH in Atlanta

kimberlya — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 05:50:46 +0000

Tackling Myeloma at the 54^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH)

The Tackle Cancer Foundation played a special role at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

During ASH, December 8^th through 11^th in Atlanta, Georgia, experts from around the world presented the latest research findings to help improve the treatment of blood cancers including multiple myeloma. Tackle Cancer co-sponsored an evening dinner and reception to transform the medical findings into personal stories of life-changing advancements in treatment.

DINNER AND RECEPTION

Monday evening, December 10th, The Tackle Cancer Foundation hosted a dinner and reception for international journalists, giving them an opportunity to meet myeloma patients who provided a personal view of living with myeloma.

Our guest of honor was 71-year-old Don Wright, who arrived at ASH after completing the Honolulu Marathon. His goal was to run a marathon in all 50 US states, and he had just accomplished that in Hawaii. We were happy to celebrate Don’s great accomplishment. Watch Don’s story on his FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/ERACECANCER

PATIENTS and FAMILIES

We are grateful to all of the patients who shared their stories at ASH. We were reminded not to underestimate the huge impact that patients have in encouraging research and in getting the word out about cancer.

Tackle Cancer visits Boston for Joe Andruzzi Foundation Gala

kimberlya — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:37:38 +0000

71-Year-Old Myeloma Patient Poised To Reach Marathon Goal

kimberlya — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:58:12 +0000

THE TACKLE CANCER FOUNDATION SAYS 71-YEAR-OLD MYELOMA PATIENT POISED TO REACH HIS GOAL OF A MARATHON IN ALL 50 STATES DECEMBER 9TH IN HAWAII

—So Far, 70 Marathons in 49 States Completed Since Cancer Diagnosis in 2003–

Dallas, TX – November 28, 2012 – Don Wright will reach his goal of running marathons in all 50 states when he crosses the finish line in the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday, December 9th. Don is running despite the fact that he is 71 years old, and despite the fact that he has cancer. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma just as he began running marathons nine years ago, and he remains on active treatment.

“At the beginning I certainly didn’t expect to run all 50 states – in fact I didn’t expect to live long enough to get there,” says Don Wright. But with the support of his wife and daughter, his doctor and an oral medication that leaves him free to travel, his outlook changed. “In the last two or three years I’ve seen that the goal was not only possible but increasingly likely, and we have actually increased the frequency of the marathons that we run, to get to the goal.”

Don races under his “E-Race Cancer” banner on behalf of Team Continuum (www.teamcontinuum.net), and the Tackle Cancer Foundation (www.tacklecancer.org). Both charities help pay essential cost-of-living bills for cancer patients, and both were founded by patients with myeloma.

“Elijah lived life to the fullest even after he knew he had cancer, and Don Wright personifies that same spirit,” said Kimberly Alexander, who runs Tackle Cancer in memory of her late husband, former NFL football player Elijah Alexander. “Of course, not everyone can run marathons, but the lesson is to dwell on what’s possible and to know that a diagnosis alone is not the end of the road. Don, we’re so proud of you!”

Don’s cancer, myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow and can damage bone. It cannot yet be cured, but with new drugs and treatments, some people with myeloma can look forward to years of active, fruitful life. Don is on an investigational new drug called pomalidomide that represents an even newer generation of treatment options for patients.

“I’m lucky—I take just a pill a day, so I am free to literally run around the country,” says Don. “Since my diagnosis in June of 2003, I’ve run more than 12,500 miles total. That includes 1,835 miles in just marathon races.

“When I cross the tape in Honolulu, I’ll certainly feel euphoric… But I know I’ll also feel emotional thinking of people like Elijah Alexander and Paul Nicholls who founded Team Continuum and all the others who showed us the way, and then left it up to us to reach the finish line.”

After his run, Don and his family plan to fly to a major hematology conference underway in Atlanta, where Kimberly Alexander will congratulate him in person. Don and his family return to their home near Minneapolis after the conference.

ABOUT THE TACKLE CANCER FOUNDATION
The Tackle Cancer Foundation pays utility bills for families who have a child diagnosed with cancer. TCF also raises awareness and supports initiatives towards finding a cure for the blood cancer multiple myeloma in memory of our founder, former NFL linebacker, Elijah Alexander (www.tacklecancer.org).

MEDIA CONTACTS:
E-Race Cancer and Don Wright: Deanne Eagle 917-837-5866
Jennifer Anderson 646-237-6926

Tackle Cancer Foundation: Peggy Frank 818-735-3591

IMPORTANT LINKS:
Twitter http://twitter.com/eRaceCancer
Facebook www.facebook.com/eRaceCancer
Don’s running blog http://minnesotadon.blogspot.com/
Don’s myeloma blog http://myelomahope.blogspot.com/

Pomalidomide, Being Tested for Multiple Myeloma, Improves Overall Survival in Patients in a Clinical Trial

kimberlya — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:36:57 +0000

Pomalidomide, Being Tested for Multiple Myeloma, Improves Overall Survival in Patients in a Clinical Trial

Dallas, TX, October 24, 2012 – Leaders of the Tackle Cancer Foundation today said there’s hopeful news for patients with myeloma, a cancer of cells in the bone marrow. An experimental drug called pomalidomide improved survival longer than a comparison treatment in patients taking part in an international clinical trial.

“I’ve been running marathons while diagnosed with multiple myeloma for the past nine years, and for half that time I’ve been on pomalidomide as part of a clinical trial,” said Don Wright, the 71-year-old marathon runner who heads up the E-Race Cancer Campaign sponsored by Tackle Cancer. “I know first-hand what it means to be on an oral drug that leaves me free to run marathons all over the country while it keeps my cancer at bay. I’m pleased these findings show I’m not alone in benefiting from this investigational new drug.”

The Tackle Cancer Foundation helps pay living expenses for parents who have a child with cancer, and the foundation donates money to support myeloma research. Kimberly Alexander runs Tackle Cancer in memory of her late husband, former NFL football player Elijah Alexander.

Kimberly says, “We know from personal experience how important it is for patients to get treatments that allow them to live active, productive lives. We are pleased to see experimental drugs like pomalidomide showing promise.”

Elijah Alexander, a former NFL football player was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age 35, much younger than the typical patient profile. Elijah experienced the benefits of new drug development first hand. But multiple myeloma cannot be cured, remissions end, and patients need new options. In clinical trials pomalidomide has been shown to be effective even after other treatments have stopped working. It has been submitted for approval to the US Food and Drug Administration with a decision no later than February 10th.

71-YEAR-OLD CANCER PATIENT TO RUN NEW HAMPSHIRE MARATHON ON WAY TO ALL 50 STATES

kimberlya — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:12:14 +0000

71-YEAR-OLD CANCER PATIENT TO RUN NEW HAMPSHIRE MARATHON ON WAY TO ALL 50 STATES

—68 Marathons in 48 States Completed Since Cancer Diagnosis; Over 1,700 Marathon Miles Run—

October 15, 2012 – Don Wright, who lives in the greater Minneapolis area, is planning to run marathons in all 50 states. He is running despite the fact that he has had cancer for more than eight years. And despite the fact that he is 71 years old!

“Here I am living with cancer, and my biggest complaint is runner’s knee!”

Don began running marathons nine years ago, just as he was diagnosed with myeloma. As of this month, he has run 68 marathons in 48 states since his myeloma diagnosis in 2003. Don races under his “E-Race Cancer” banner on behalf of the charities the Tackle Cancer Foundation (www.tacklecancer.org) and Team Continuum www.teamcontinuum.net), both of which help pay essential cost-of-living bills for cancer patients.

Don is planning to run the Duke City Marathon, in Albuquerque, NM, on Sunday, Oct 31. New Mexico will be state number 49!

Don’s cancer, myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow and can damage bone. It cannot yet be cured. With new drugs and new treatments, it can be managed long term. Don is on an investigational new drug that may represent an even newer generation of treatment options for patients.

“I’m running with cancer, not from cancer—because living with myeloma is a marathon, not a sprint!” says Don. “I’m lucky—I take just a pill a day, so I am free to literally run around the country instead of being tied to a doctors’ office for traditional chemotherapy treatments, and I don’t have to deal with the side effects those treatments could bring.”

Don has never looked back since he began running marathons shortly after he was diagnosed with myeloma. In just eight years, Don has run over 1,500 miles. Don hopes his determination to complete marathons in all 50 states will inspire others living with cancer.

Don’s 2012 schedule includes Alaska, New Hampshire and, his 50th state, Hawaii.

Cancer patient to run Hampton marathon on way to all 50 states

kimberlya — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:09:07 +0000

Cancer patient to run Hampton marathon on way to all 50 states

Cancer patient, 71, will run Hampton marathon on Sunday leaving him two states shy of goal

September 27, 2012 2:00 AM
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120927-SPORTS-209270391?cid=sitesearch
HAMPTON — Don Wright, who lives in the greater Minneapolis area, is planning to run marathons in all 50 states. He is running despite the fact that he has had cancer for more than eight years. And despite the fact that he is 71 years old.
Wright is planning to run the Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon, in Hampton, on Sunday. New Hampshire will be state No. 48.
“Here I am living with cancer, and my biggest complaint is runner’s knee,” Wright said.
Wright began running marathons nine years ago, just as he was diagnosed with myeloma. As of this month, he has run 67 marathons in 47 states since his diagnosis in 2003. Wright races under his “E-Race Cancer” banner on behalf of charities the Tackle Cancer Foundation and Team Continuum, both of which help pay essential cost-of-living bills for cancer patients.
Myeloma, also called multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow and can damage bone. It cannot yet be cured. With new drugs and new treatments, it can be managed long term. Wright is on an investigational new drug that may represent an even newer generation of treatment options for patients.
“I’m running with cancer, not from cancer — because living with myeloma is a marathon, not a sprint,” Wright said. “I’m lucky — I take just a pill a day, so I am free to literally run around the country instead of being tied to a doctor’s office for traditional chemotherapy treatments, and I don’t have to deal with the side effects those treatments could bring.”
Wright has never looked back since he began running marathons shortly after he was diagnosed with myeloma. In just eight years, Wright has run more than 1,500 miles. He hopes his determination to complete marathons in all 50 states will inspire others living with cancer.

Sioux Falls Marathon attracts runners of all ages

kimberlya — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:17:05 +0000

KSFY (ABC, Sioux Falls, SD)
Sioux Falls Marathon attracts runners of all ages

http://www.ksfy.com/story/19496437/sioux-falls-marathon-attracts-runners
Posted: Sep 09, 2012 5:35 PM EDT Updated: Sep 09, 2012 7:06 PM EDT
2,000 runners ran a marathon in Sioux Falls today, including Don Wright, 71.

He’s running a marathon in each of the 50 states.

He’s a cancer survivor and since his diagnosis 9 years ago, he’s run 66 marathons since being told he had a rare form of blood cancer.

He’s run over 1,500 miles, but he says his biggest complaint in this more than 26 mile race is runner’s knee.

“It’s a goal that keeps me going and it’s important to me and it’s my way of sticking that cancer right in the eye,” Wright said.

Wright is planning to run in Hawaii in December.

He’s also running in Alaska and New Mexico.

He has a blood cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow and can damage bones.

It cannot be cured but luckily he can avoid chemo by taking medication and he’s able to train for these marathons.

The Sioux Falls marathon takes dozens and dozens of volunteers to make this marathon happen.

Some runners who took part in the race today came from all over the United States and around the country.

Volunteers tell us they met runners from New York and even Sweden.

“When you can get people from all over the U.S. and other countries it’s definitely going to help and Sioux Falls is a prosperous city. It has shown that with the promotion they have been doing,” Dave Tuch said.

Along with the marathon and half marathon today, there was also the Miracle 5k which raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network at Sanford Children’s Hospital.

The money raised will help sick kids in our area.

Some streets were closed in Sioux Falls because of this marathon.

Downtown street like Phillips Avenue, along with parts of Western Avenue.

Even the on and off ramps of Interstate 229.

Marathon runners share passion Record holder, 29, cancer fighter, 71, both face pressure

kimberlya — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:00:49 +0000

Marathon runners share passion
Record holder, 29, cancer fighter, 71, both face pressure

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309080024

11:57 PM, Sep 7, 2012

By Peter Harriman

This is a tale of two marathoners.

When Don Wright, 71, of Lake Elmo, Minn., crosses the starting line of the Sioux Falls Marathon on Sunday, he will continue his decadelong occupation of “sticking that cancer right in the eye.” Shortly after completing his first marathon in 2003, he was diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer, multiple myeloma. Typically it is fatal within two to five years, but Wright has kept it at bay the past four and a half years thanks to an experimental drug, pomalidomide, that has dramatically slowed the course of the disease in his case.

He’ll be running, in part, to promote two nonprofit organizations. Team Continuum and Tackle Cancer Foundation raise money to help pay the nonmedical expenses of families with children who have cancer, and the latter organization also raises funds for multiple myeloma research.

Wright’s goal is to finish the race in less than five hours.

Justin Gillette, 29, of Goshen, Ind., will be looking to defend his 2011 Sioux Falls Marathon championship and to improve his course record, 2 hours, 31 minutes and 14 seconds.

In many ways, Wright and Gillette are as distinct as the times they expect to run. Wright has about as many interests as Leonardo da Vinci. He’s a retired engineer who went to law school and who built his own computer in addition to tending to his long-distance racing hobby and his support for anti-cancer causes.

Gillette is a professional athlete, with a laser-like focus on winning.

He’s a four-time NAIA track All-America from Goshen College, and he has the elite distance runner’s slender frame. His racing weight is 133 pounds.

Wright, by contrast, needed a stop at Weight Watchers first to get down to about 150 pounds when his wife, Ardis, coaxed him into running road races about a decade ago.

“I was getting a little pudgy,” he acknowledges.

But in a profound way, the two are alike. Neither harbors the most remote concern about covering 26.2 miles. In nine years, Wright has completed 66 marathons heading into Sunday’s race. After some years, he realized he has a chance to run a marathon in all 50 states.

“We’re closing in on 47,” Wright says. He checked off South Dakota a few years ago with a race in the Black Hills. But his wife is an Augustana College alum, and she and their daughter, Sarah, will run the half-marathon Sunday, so Wright is using the longer race “as one last training run going into the fall.”

After Sioux Falls, he plans to knock off marathons in New Hampshire, New Mexico and Hawaii this year to complete his national tour.

As impressive as his record is, it is eclipsed by Gillette’s. He’s run 105 marathons, 28 this year alone, and he has won 50 of those races.

“I’m now seventh in the world for most wins,” Gillette says. “All the other people ahead of me are old. I’m the youngest ever to get to 50 wins.”

And yet Gillette gets what Wright is about.

“A guy like him, 60, says ‘I’m getting old. OK, I’m going to buy a pair of running shoes.’ Who does that at 60?” Gillette marvels.

“The difference between him and I is I might go home with some prize money Sunday, and I’ve got sponsors. It’s all coming out of his pocket. You say ‘Who loves the sport more? Me or the guy who is 60 and just starting it?’ We have equal passion.”

Because he’s a competitor in his prime, there is pressure on him to perform in races that Wright doesn’t face, Gillette says. Also, unlike Wright, he has a young family, a wife and 2-year-old son, so indulgences such as a 50-state racing tour give way to other priorities at his stage in life. After crossing the finish line Sunday, Gillette will make the long drive home to Indiana. His wife is in graduate school Monday, he says, and “I’ve got her car.”

For all Wright talks about his sheer delight of running, his recollection of favorite races and dramatic courses and the delightful notice his marathoning has earned him — “In my whole life, I’ve never been famous before. I kind of enjoy showing up on CNN and KSTP. It’s kind of fun. I’m 71, what the heck,” he says — a set of pressures looms over his own racing surely equal to Gillette’s need to make a living from running.

Multiple myeloma still could be a death sentence. Wright maintains various blogs related to his interests, including several dealing with his disease, and at least one of them regularly notes the passing of multiple myeloma sufferers who had come together in solidarity over battling their illness.

The current reality is “every drug eventually fails,” Wright says.

Marathoners are sometimes characterized as a pair of legs supporting lungs and a heart. Wright certainly has the heart. He’s running on behalf of Team Continuum and Tackle Cancer because of what they do for families with children suffering from the disease.

“That just tugs at my heart,” Wright says, and he’s eager to promote funding for research to continue to come up with effective treatments to stay ahead of multiple myeloma and to hasten the access to promising experimental drugs such as pomalidomide to everyone suffering from the disease.

Gillette, too, has a heart. Going home after last year’s Sioux Falls Marathon, he found himself on a plane with Bill Rex of Geneva, Ill., the last-place finisher. Rex told Gillette when he crossed the finish line in 6:49.30, race officials had run out of finisher’s medals.

“So I gave him mine,” Gillette says.

The marathon puts its mark on everybody bold enough to take up its challenge. For people such as Don Wright and Justin Gillette who keep coming back to the well, it can be defining. Ask him whether he considers himself predominantly someone locked in a life-and-death battle with cancer or a runner, and Wright answers decisively: “I’m a runner.”

Apparently, the order of finish hardly matters.

“We’re all out there doing the same thing,” Gillette says. “We’re all a little weird.”