North Texas Dentistry Volume 7 Issue 4 NTD 2017 ISSUE 4 CONV DE | Page 37

Be a Part of
Making Hope Possible
A message from Dr. Chuck Wakefield
I will be participating in the MMy Ride
for a Cure event beginning on September
2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California as part of
the Multiple Myeloma Research Founda-
tion (MMRF) Team For Cures. Beginning
that day, a team of 20 people will ride from
Manhattan Beach, California to Flagstaff,
AZ. An additional team of eight will con-
tinue on to Westport, CT, including me.
Thanks to the support of our sponsor, not
one penny of the funds donated will go to-
wards the cost of the ride.
The work ahead of me? I’ll be riding the
50-day coast-to-coast route – 3,400 miles
and have promised to raise at least $15,000
to support the MMRF. Training for this
event is a big challenge, but nothing com-
pared to the challenges faced by patients
with multiple myeloma (MM).
All riders have a direct connection to mul-
tiple myeloma, as a patient, support care
giver, family member, or physician treating
MM patients. I am a patient, first diag-
nosed with MM on a routine physical exam
in December 2003, with a rapidly develop-
ing case. The initial outlook wasn’t that
great, and I had eight months of intensive
chemo, followed by a bone marrow trans-
plant in August 2004. With a brand new
immune system, I was 13 years old August
12, 2017, and am miraculously in complete
remission for the past year and a half. As a
dentist and director of a graduate program
co-located with the hospital, I became a
colleague of my phenomenal MM physi-
cian treating many MM patients with oral
complications, and still do this in private
practice. My physician became a very good
friend, and we were partners on the 2016
MMRF expedition to climb Mount Kili-
manjaro in Tanzania. Great trip, and we
raised $250,000 for the MMRF! Knowing
that I am one of the few very lucky patients,
I also speak for MM support groups and
participate in MMRF events. The dedica-
tion of this organization is amazing, and I
frequently tell people that if you ever have
to get any cancer, this is the club to be in!
Staying in good physical condition has al-
ways been one of my personal standards,
and I do a lot of bicycling with my local
club, the Mid-Cities Knuckleheads. We ride
many local, regional and international
events. At 71, I am very fortunate to be able
to successfully participate in this cross
country ride and hopefully help many MM
patients through our efforts.
Why do we do this? Riding a bike won’t
cure cancer, but research will. Research
takes money. I want to be part of the action
that is getting us closer to a cure.
Multiple myeloma is the second most com-
mon form of blood cancer and, sadly, has
one of the lowest five-year relative survival
rates of all cancers. But while there is no
cure, great progress is being made.
In fact, thanks to the important work of the
MMRF, the world’s leading private funder
of myeloma research, the FDA has ap-
proved ten new treatments, including
four in just the past 18 months – a track
record that’s unparalleled in the oncology
industry. These drugs have almost tripled
the lifespan of myeloma patients. And now
the MMRF is funding over 20 additional
treatments in various stages of develop-
ment, giving hope to tens of thousands of
patients and their families.
The MMRF is one of the most highly
regarded cancer foundations in the
world. An outstanding 90% of the total
MMRF budget goes directly towards
research and related programming.
And the MMRF is in the top 1% of all
charities, having earned Cha rity Navi-
gator’s 4-star rating for the past
eleven years in a row.
Please support my participation in MMy
Ride for a Cure benefiting the MMRF. I
have made a commitment to raise at least
$15,000 for my 3,400 mile ride across
America and I need your help to get there.
As a retired U.S. Army Colonel, this will be
a great trip to see parts of the USA I haven’t
yet seen and meet people along the way.
Your tax deductible donation goes directly
to help fast track life saving treatments for
myeloma patients. Please donate whatever
you can to support this great effort – it all
adds up. Thank you very much! To donate:
https://endurance.themmrf.org/MMyRide/Chuck
Wakefield
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