Riding with Purpose
Eric Blackburn’s commitment to the IMF
By Simona Grace, IMF Senior Director, Development
When Eric Blackburn signed up for the International Myeloma Foundation’s Iceland Cycling Expedition, he committed to a cause that had become deeply personal.
A Gulf War veteran living with smoldering multiple myeloma, a precursor condition that can progress to active disease, Eric has raised more than $34,000 this year – and counting. His fundraising supports the IMF’s mission to accelerate the prevention and cure of myeloma and improve the quality of life for patients and families.
Along the way, Eric has inspired friends, family members, colleagues, and fellow advocates to join him in supporting the IMF. Among those supporters is his mother-in-law, Carolyn Arntson.
“When Eric was diagnosed with smoldering multiple myeloma in 2024, our whole family felt the weight of it,” Carolyn says. “After he became involved with the IMF, I could see him looking forward again. He found a community that understood what he was facing and an outlet for his passion for early detection and better treatments.”
“Watching him prepare for the Iceland Cycling Expedition and advocate for other patients has shown me the impact this organization can have. That’s why supporting the IMF was an easy decision for me.” Carolyn’s gift to the IMF reflects something Eric has learned throughout his fundraising journey: people want to support meaningful work when they see its impact.
After his diagnosis, Eric first focused on understanding what it meant for his future. He spent time learning about myeloma, seeking expert care, and looking for trusted information. That search led him to the IMF.
Eric found far more than educational resources at the IMF. He found a community of patients, care partners, researchers, clinicians, and advocates, all working toward the same goal: improving outcomes for patients and ultimately finding a cure.
“The IMF helped me understand that progress doesn’t happen by chance,” Eric says. “It happens because people are willing to invest in research, education, and support for patients and families.”
Today, Eric serves as co-leader of the IMF’s Veterans with Myeloma Special Interest Support Group, helping fellow veterans navigate living with myeloma while raising awareness about precursor conditions, early detection, and patient advocacy.
His involvement has also deepened his appreciation for the role donors play in advancing the IMF’s mission. Eric became especially interested in research focused on precursor conditions such as smoldering myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a benign disorder that precedes smoldering disease. He believes investing in research today can make a meaningful difference for patients and families tomorrow.
That belief is one of the reasons Eric committed to the Iceland Cycling Expedition. For him, the ride represents an opportunity to support research, raise awareness, and engage others in the mission. Seeing others rally around the cause has been one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.
Donor support makes it possible for the IMF to fund groundbreaking research, provide trusted educational resources, strengthen support programs, and advocate on behalf of patients and families around the world. Every contribution helps advance work that improves lives today while moving the field closer to prevention and a cure tomorrow.
There are many ways to support the IMF’s mission with community fundraisers such as walks, golf outings, cycling events, or backyard barbecues. Others make annual gifts, become monthly donors, use a qualified charitable distribution from their IRA, make a major gift to advance a specific initiative, or include the IMF in their estate plans.
Eric knows firsthand the difference that access to information, community, and research can make in a patient’s life. “The IMF gave me a way to turn my experience into purpose. I want to help make sure other patients and families have access to the resources that can change lives.”
Through his advocacy, fundraising, and commitment to the IMF mission, Eric is helping make that future possible.
Gifts to the IMF are an investment in our mission to advance myeloma research and improve patient care. Please contact Simona Grace at [email protected] to start a conversation about your potential engagement with the IMF.
(This article was originally published in the 2026 Summer Edition of the IMF's quarterly publication, Myeloma Today. Read the full publication here.)