Michael will never forget the moment everything changed. It was a crisp fall day, and he was out for a walk when he dropped his glasses. As he bent down to pick them up, a sudden, stabbing pain shot through his ribs. He winced but brushed it off as a normal sign of aging. Then it happened again. And again. Soon, even simple movements like leaning over at work left him gasping from the pain.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Today, I am in complete remission because of clinical trials. They literally saved my life.
Something wasn’t right.
Over the next few months, Michael went through a series of tests and doctor visits, but there were still no clear answers. It wasn’t until his then-fiancée Angela, a registered nurse, insisted on a full-body bone scan that doctors finally discovered the truth. Michael had multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer. The scan showed tiny fractures in his ribs and more than 100 lesions spread throughout his bones. He was only 51 years old.
Michael began fighting for his life immediately. He underwent two stem cell transplants, traveled across the country for care, and tried countless treatments. For six years, nothing brought lasting remission. Then came a glimmer of hope, a newly approved immunotherapy. For the first time since his diagnosis, Michael went into remission. It lasted about nine months.
When the cancer returned, he enrolled in a clinical trial. The results were incredible. Michael stayed in remission for another 18 months. Then the cancer came back again. Still determined to keep going, he joined another trial, which lasted a full year. After it ended, his doctors decided to pause treatment and monitor his progress.
That was more than two years ago. Michael is still in complete remission.
He knows that research made all the difference. Clinical trials gave him options when nothing else worked. Today, Michael is focused on helping others find the same hope. Alongside Angela, now his wife, he founded Speaking on Cancer Patient Advocacy, a nonprofit that supports and educates patients so they can speak up for their care and push for compassionate, patient-centered treatment.
Michael’s story is a powerful reminder of what is possible when we invest in cancer research. It does not just extend lives. It transforms them.