Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1989 at age 33, Brian D. Novis founded the IMF in 1990, along with wife Susie, and Brian’s then-physician, Dr. Brian G.M. Durie. Together, the three join forces and set out to educate patients about the little-known blood cancer and available treatment options.

A former executive headhunter, Brian started the IMF with humble beginnings in a garage— armed only with high hopes and a borrowed typewriter while sitting on a lawn chair. By 1991, the disease took an enormous physical toll on Brian — extensive bone damage forced him to work from his bed at home.

Brian passed away in July 1992, but his dream continues to live on.

Each day since then, the IMF has pushed ahead — with compassion, innovation, and urgency— to improve the lives of myeloma patients and, ultimately, to find a cure for this disease.