Jack is a former VP of Marketing and Customer Support on medical leave from a Silicon Valley firm. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1995 and has undergone tandem and allogeneic stem cell transplants. Jack and wife Nell have two daughters, Erin, age 25 and Krista 23, and Jason, his 18-year-old son.

Jim is a CPA and partner with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. He was diagnosed with myeloma in 1992. In 2002 he participated in the PS-341 clinical trial, which put his cancer into remission. Jim and wife Kathleen partner in their myeloma awareness-building activities and have two sons.

Diagnosed at the age of 32 with stage III myeloma in early 2002, Dina has never experienced any symptoms of her cancer. She is married to Neal and is a PhD student at Columbia University. She finds a sense of control in educating herself and others about myeloma.

Bruce was diagnosed with Stage I IgA multiple myeloma in May, 2000 following a routine blood test. He is a retired Army officer who fought in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. Bruce has been MMRF's chief volunteer advocate recruiter for the annual Blood Cancer Advocacy Days and he is now leading a volunteer effort to assist the Veteran's Administration in improving VA myeloma patient and physician education and collaborative myeloma research. He also serves as a patient advocate in NCI's myeloma Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), a program aimed at promoting cancer research that directly benefits patients. Bruce and Joan, his wife of 43 years, have two adult daughters, Anne and Leigh, and four grandchildren.

"We think we'll be here forever, but one little phone call can change your life." Self-proclaimed "captain of the family ship," Angie is a wife and mother of a daughter and two sons, ages 13, 11 and 6, respectively. She was diagnosed with stage III-A myeloma in January 2001 at the age of 36 and today continues her 15-year career as an aerobics instructor.

Barb took early retirement from her job as an oncology nurse when she was diagnosed with myeloma in 2001. She remains involved with the cancer community by serving as volunteer site coordinator for a breast cancer prevention trial and at a center for complementary therapies. Barb had autologous and mini-allogeneic stem cell transplants prior to her latest treatment, which put her into remission. She is the mother of five adult children and has 10 grandchildren.

Deborah was diagnosed with myeloma in 1999 on her 41st birthday. She was the first myeloma patient to participate in a trial for Velcade and ultimately achieved remission. Deborah relies on a strong faith and supportive community of friends and family. She and her husband have five children and six grandchildren.