Listen to “March is Myeloma Action Month A NEW MULTIPLE MYELOMA (MM) CAMPAIGN “MM Told True” BRINGS PATIENT STORIES TO LIFE THROUGH ART” on Spreaker.
https://mam.myeloma.org/
“Living looks like still dreaming. A refusal to let cancer suffocate you while you’re still breathing,” wrote prominent spoken word artist Jae Nichelle as part of the new MM Told True campaign.
Designed to empower people with multiple myeloma (MM), MM Told True highlights the stories of those with the disease, bringing them to the forefront through spoken or visual art. In her thought-provoking poem, Jae tells the story of Oya – a committed father, podcaster, aspiring musician and advocate for health equity in the Black community – who was diagnosed with MM in 2017, despite difficulty having his concerns taken seriously.
Since his diagnosis, Oya has become an outspoken member of the MM community, with the hope that others will reach a quicker diagnosis and feel supported through treatment.
MM is a currently incurable cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow with over 34,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2023. Even with treatment, the disease tends to relapse – meaning symptoms come back after temporarily improving – or progress.
Patients report feeling like they’re inside a maze, as promising treatment paths repeatedly hit a wall. MM disproportionately impacts ethnic and racial minority groups in incidence, onset and outcome, with Black patients twice as likely to die from the disease compared with white patients.
MM Told True not only illustrates patient stories, but also provides tools and information about MM – so people living with the disease can feel educated and empowered against this relentless blood cancer.
The next phase of the campaign involves encouraging others affected by MM to share their unique stories on MMToldTrue.com, whether it comes in the form of a personal photo, a powerful message or something else that expresses how they feel. These lived experiences can serve as inspiration for people with MM and their care partners.
Oya and Jae will discuss how they came together to create meaningful art from Oya’s story, his experience living with MM, and how others can share their own stories and find support through the MM Told True website.
Interview courtesy: Pfizer Inc.
