My mother was diagnosed with MM in November, 2019. She had pain in her ribs for a few months before the doctors were able to identify it as MM. She has been undergoing treatment since December, with a few breaks due to some adverse side effects of the medications and a lingering cold. I live in Boston, not too far from her and my dad in Newton, MA, and my siblings in Framingham and Waltham. I want to do something big to support my mom in her journey to fight cancer. Something more than spending quality time with her at home and at the hospital. I initially looked into running the Boston Marathon with a charity organization, but I missed the 2020 openings (I have to say I feel a bit relieved about that). When I reached out to inquire about the marathon charity group, I was informed there are other fundraising opportunities such as MMRF hikes around the world! This seemed like a great opportunity not only for myself to help my mom, but to give our family and friends a way to show their support as well by donating money and helping me train. I’m hoping that our fundraising will enable scientists to find a cure for MM in my mom’s lifetime. I was nervous and uncomfortable at first to ask family and friends for money – I have never done a big fundraiser before. But once I got started and saw that people were actually grateful that I was providing a way for them to show their support, I felt reassured that this was a great initiative to take on for my mom. I’m looking forward to meeting new people who have a similar goal and personal connection to MM.