For the last 20 years, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) has brought together a dedicated team of patients, care partners, and nurses to attend the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, one of the world’s leading conferences for myeloma research. Through Myeloma Voices at ASH, our team helps bring the latest myeloma research and treatment advances directly to the people who need to hear about them most: the myeloma community.
Our mission is to make exciting scientific discoveries more accessible, understandable, and meaningful. While researchers and clinicians gather to share groundbreaking findings, our team is there to listen, learn, ask questions, and share what matters most from the patient and care partner perspective. Using vlogs, videos, social media posts, and other real-time updates, team members translate complex research into easier to understand concepts, helping patients, care partners, and families stay informed about developments that may shape the future of myeloma care.
Research is more powerful when everyone has access to it. You don’t have to attend ASH to be part of the excitement! Throughout the conference, our team will share highlights, reactions, and important takeaways from the latest research presentations. By combining scientific insights with the lived experiences of patients and care partners, Myeloma Voices at ASH helps bridge the gap between the research presented at a major scientific meeting and the people whose lives may be affected by those discoveries.
Follow the Team. Share the Excitement. Be Part of the Conversation.
We invite you to follow our Myeloma Voices at ASH team members on social media for timely updates, accessible explanations of emerging research, and personal perspectives from the conference. Like, comment on, and share their posts to help spread the word and connect even more people with the latest developments in myeloma research.
Follow the team, join the conversation, and experience ASH with us! Together, we can make sure the latest research reaches beyond the conference walls and into the hands of the myeloma community, bringing knowledge, connection, and hope to patients and care partners everywhere.
Jeff was diagnosed in 2016 after being hospitalized with kidney failure. After several tests and some imaging, he was informed he had a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. Earlier detection of the myeloma would have prevented him from getting stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). He underwent induction therapy of Velcade 2x a week, dexamethasone 2x a week, and Revlimid 21 days on and 7 days off. In January of 2017, he had an autologous stem cell transplant followed by Revlimid and Velcade maintenance.
Three months after his diagnosis, his wife Karen was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. He and his wife traded off being the patient and the caregiver for 2 ½ years. Sadly, his wife passed away in March of 2019.
Jeff has been MRD- for at least 5 years and has been off medication for the past 3 years.
Follow Jeff on X: @adamson_je23601
Eric Blackburn was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma (SMM) in October 2024, years after being treated for Gulf War Illness following his service in the U.S. Army. He is currently on active surveillance, and stays active on his bike and on backpacking trails in the Pacific Northwest. A former corporate CFO, Eric has spent his career reading data, and he now applies that same instinct to advocating for myeloma patients and for veteran health more broadly, including mental health and earlier detection for those exposed to toxic hazards.
His experience motivated him to co-lead the IMF's support group for veterans with myeloma. He also serves as a patient advocate for the Mayo Clinic Myeloma SPORE, the Cancer Immunoprevention Network (CIP-NET), and a CDMRP-funded research project. He is beginning to blog at A Hill to Live On to document his experience.
This will be his first time attending ASH, where he hopes to bring the latest in SMM research back to the veterans he serves.
Follow Eric on X: @AHillToLiveOn
Support Group Website: The Veterans with Myeloma Special Interest Group
Becky Bosley, BSN - Senior Director, Support Services
Oncology Nurse Since 2006 | Breast & Ovarian Cancer Survivor | Support Group Leader
Becky has been an oncology nurse since 2006, and for the last eight years, has primarily focused on myeloma. Since 2018, she has led the MidAtlantic Myeloma Support Group and co-leads the Living with High-Risk Myeloma virtual special interest group, which she founded in 2023. Passionate about empowering patients with education, she leverages her oncology nursing expertise to support myeloma patients and their care partners. As a breast and ovarian cancer survivor, she brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges faced by those diagnosed with cancer.
Her professional role at the IMF includes educationally supporting Support Groups across the US. Becky lives in Pennsylvania with her large, blended family and values her quality time with them, including being actively involved in her children’s soccer, baseball, and volleyball activities.
Follow Becky on X: @MidAtlanticMSG
Support Group Website: Mid-Atlantic Myeloma Support And Information Group and Living with High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Support Group
Mindy C. Fast was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in early 2007. She has journeyed through auto and allogenic transplants, too much chemo and immunotherapies, radiation, and CAR T-cell therapy in June 2023. At this point, Mindy has enjoyed MRD Negativity for over 3 years but unfortunately those kappa numbers are climbing. What’s next? Mindy is passionate about advocating for patients with multiple myeloma and their caregivers to help improve the quality of their lives and offer hope.
Mindy finds inspiration, support, and joy in her dear family, healthcare team, friends, and fellow myeloma advocates. Mindy co-founded and co-leads (for 16 years) a local multiple myeloma support group. Next week you might find Mindy working out at the Y, volunteering at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, watching her backyard birds, playing Mah Jongg with friends, or hanging with her granddaughter.
Mindy is returning to ASH, eager to learn about the latest advances and share what she learns with her fellow multiple myeloma patients.
Follow Mindy on Instagram: @mindy.c.fast or @myelomarichmond
Support Group Website: Greater Richmond Multiple Myeloma Support Group
Terry Glassman is a registered nurse, multiple myeloma survivor, and patient advocate who brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to the myeloma community. Her nursing background includes ICU/CCU nursing, cardiac research, and clinical research coordination.
Following her diagnosis with multiple myeloma/plasma cell leukemia, Terry became deeply involved in patient education and advocacy. She is the founder and leader of the International Myeloma Foundation Long Island Support Group, co-leader of the IMF High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Support Group, and has participated in IMF Patient Voices at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting for the past two years. She also serves as a HealthTree Coach.
Terry serves on the ASH Research Collaborative Multiple Myeloma Patient Collaboration Team and the Mount Sinai Center of Excellence for Multiple Myeloma Board, and as a patient advocate for the Mayo Clinic Multiple Myeloma SPORE, the MMRF Horizon Trials Data Safety and Monitoring Board, and the Mount Sinai Cancer Equity Accelerator Community Advisory Board. Through these roles, she is committed to ensuring that the patient voice is integrated throughout myeloma research and care.
Follow Terry on X: @TerryGlassman
Support Group Website: Long Island Multiple Myeloma Informational Support Group and Living with High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Support Group
Teresa S. Miceli, BSN, RN, OCN®, CCRP, is a Dysproteinemia Research Nurse Navigator in the Division of Hematology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. With more than 35 years of experience in hematology, blood and marrow transplantation, and multiple myeloma care, she is recognized for her expertise in patient education, survivorship, research coordination, and patient advocacy. Teresa serves as a Patient Advocate on the National Cancer Institute's Myeloma Steering Committee and has been an active member of the International Myeloma Foundation Nurse Leadership Board since 2006. She is an Assistant Professor of Nursing and Mayo Associate, with numerous publications, national presentations, and leadership roles focused on improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with myeloma and related disorders.
Follow Teresa on X: @IMFnurseMYELOMA
Support Group Website: Multiple Myeloma Sharing Sessions and Smolder Bolder
Adrienne Moore was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020 at age 42, after a severe spinal compression fracture led to the discovery of extensive bone damage. She underwent spinal surgery, radiation, induction therapy, and tandem autologous stem cell transplants, and has remained in complete response since 2021.
Adrienne leads the Myeloma Connections support group in Bloomington, Illinois, and founded Myeloma in the Middle, an online community for people diagnosed with myeloma at a younger age. She also advocates on Capitol Hill for better access to care, treatment, clinical trials, and cancer research.
At ASH, Adrienne is part of the Myeloma Voices social media team, helping share research and key takeaways with patients and caregivers in a way that is easier to understand and actually useful.
Follow Adrienne on X: @AMoore969908
Support Group Website: Myeloma Connections Central Illinois Support Group and Myeloma in the Middle Shared Experience Group
Mary Rose was diagnosed with MGUS in 2013. It remained stable until 2022, when symptoms led to the discovery of bone lesions. She has oligosecretory multiple myeloma.
She had just left a demanding high-tech career. The plan was visits with adult children and travel throughout Europe. Instead, she scrambled for care providers. Remembering the three-year myeloma prognosis from years before, she cleaned out her closet, wanting to spare her wife this burden.
Times had changed. Treatments had improved. After a stem cell transplant in September 2023, Mary was MRD-negative. Since then, she has lived under treatment-free surveillance. Frequent bone marrow biopsies and scans continue to confirm no evidence of disease. She is waiting for myeloma to carry the word “cured.”
Mary is a full-time writer, now editing her memoir on early life trauma resurfacing during critical illness. She also regularly publishes essays about survivorship and myeloma issues.
Since 2025, Mary has led MM Fighters, a peer-led support group begun in 1998. She wants every myeloma patient and care partner to have hope and access to information.
Follow Mary on:
X: @Writer_MaryRose
Substack: WriterMaryRose.Substack.com and MyelomaFighters.Substack.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/WriterMaryRose
Support Group Website: PNW MM Fighters
In 2023, Rose visited her local orthopedic doctor after suspecting she might have injured her back while working out. What she believed would be a routine follow-up appointment quickly changed course when scans revealed a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma — a type of cancer she had never heard of before. Overnight, she found herself navigating a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments and treatment plans, all while trying to determine the best path forward.
Fortunately, Rose was surrounded by a compassionate team of physicians who took the time to explain each step of her treatment journey. She also discovered her local Maitland Multiple Myeloma Support Group, which she credits with helping her understand that a full and meaningful life is still possible after diagnosis.
In March 2024, Rose underwent a successful stem cell transplant and is now in remission. Today, she is passionate about supporting others facing similar challenges. She wants every patient to know that while the road may feel overwhelming at first, there are many resources available — and no one has to go through this alone.
Follow Rose on
• X: PetalResilient
• Support Group Site: Maitland FL Multiple Myeloma Support Group
Jenn Wieworka, DNP, RN, AGCNS-BC, OCN - Director, Support Groups | Mid-West
Doctorate-Prepared Nurse | Clinical Nurse Specialist | Support Group Leader
With over a decade of experience in the oncology field, Jenn is passionate about improving patient outcomes and reducing health disparities. Her journey started in inpatient oncology (2012-2017), where she gained hands-on experience in providing compassionate care to patients facing life-changing diagnoses. From 2017 to 2024, she practiced as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC) in radiation oncology, where she streamlined processes and improving patient experiences through process improvement and health literacy initiatives. As a proud Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), her work is centered on education, patient advocacy, and making complex medical concepts more accessible to patients. Jenn's goal is always to meet patients where they are, creating a supportive and empathetic environment where they can feel informed and empowered throughout their treatment journey. Now, with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, Jenn is dedicated to advancing evidence-based practices and continuing to champion the role of nurses in shaping the future of oncology care.
“I’m driven by the belief that every patient deserves not only the best medical care but also the emotional support and understanding that allows them to navigate their health journey with confidence. Having witnessed the impact of cancer on my loved ones, I understand the fear, uncertainty, and need for clear communication in ways that empower patients to take control of their care. Being at the forefront of science and constantly learning helps me stay committed to the latest advancements in oncology care. In my work, I strive to make a meaningful impact by improving processes and policies, while creating an environment where patients feel supported at every step. I’m dedicated to helping people through some of the most challenging moments in their lives with the knowledge, empathy, and dedication they deserve.”
Follow Jenn on X: @JWiework
Support Group Website: The Veterans with Myeloma Special Interest Group
Eric was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2012 at the age of 46, during the 28th year of his career as a United States Marine. Since then, he has faced many ups and downs — including back surgery, radiation, multiple lines of therapy, and two stem cell transplants — but has also been uplifted by the love and support of family, friends, fellow patients, and cancer allies.
Motivated by his hard-won experiences, deep compassion, and sense of calling, Eric connects daily with patients both within and beyond his network. His strength lies in the human, person-to-person touch, and he currently co-leads the Upland and San Gabriel Valley, CA support groups.
Eric has been married to his high school sweetheart for 41 years. Together, they have four grown children and a granddaughter. He enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding, worshiping his Savior, Jesus Christ, and helping others find hope on their myeloma journey.
Follow Eric on X: @EricWolf_USMC
Support Group Website: Upland CA Multiple Myeloma Support Group
IMF Support Group Leaders have their fingers on the pulse of ASH 2024. Read their experiences during the 66th Annual ASH meeting.
Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. The malignant plasma cells, or myeloma cells, accumulate in the bone marrow. These myeloma cells are abnormal plasma cells that divide uncontrollably, leading to the overproduction of dysfunctional antibodies and crowding out healthy blood cells.
Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. The malignant plasma cells, or myeloma cells, accumulate in the bone marrow. These myeloma cells are abnormal plasma cells that divide uncontrollably, leading to the overproduction of dysfunctional antibodies and crowding out healthy blood cells.
The content appearing on this page is not provided by the IMF. The IMF neither warrants nor guarantees the accuracy of such content. The forgoing notwithstanding, the content is not a substitute for advice and service provided by qualified and licensed medical professionals and should not be relied on with respect to any health matters. Any health-related information found herein is only made available as part of a general educational service.
