http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170418005483/en/PatientPower%C2%AE-76-Year-Old-Runner-Race-Philadelphia-Reached
PatientPower®Says76-Year-Old
RunnertoRaceAgainin
PhiladelphiaWhereHeRecentlyReachedHis
Goalof100MarathonswithCancer
--DonWrighttoRunintheMilesforMyeloma5kApril22ndinPhiladelphiain
Preparationforhis101stMarathoninJune--
April18,201708:03AMEasternDaylightTime
PHILADELPHIA&CARLSBAD,Calif.--(BUSINESSWIRE)--PATIENTPOWER®-
educating,informingandadvocatingforpatients-todaysaidDonWrightwilljoin
fellowmyelomapatientsandtheirfamiliesinPhiladelphiaonApril22ndtopersonify
theprogressandpossibilitiesthatcontinuetoimprovethelivesofpatientswith
cancer.
In2003Don,wholivesinMinnesota,
wasdiagnosedwithmultiplemyeloma,a
rarecancerthataffectscellsinthebone
marrow.Atthetimehewasgivenless
thanfiveyearstolive,butinsteadof
givingup,Donbeganrunning
marathons,andinPhiladelphialastNovember,atage75,hereachedhisgoalof100
marathonswithcancer.Nowhe’scomingbacktothecity,thistimeforaneventby
andforfellowmyelomapatientsastheyracetoshowthatadiagnosisdoesnothave
tobetheendoftheroad.
“Theoutlookformanyofusgetsbettereveryyearasmoreadvancedtreatments
becomeavailable,”saysPhilFalkowitz,aPhiladelphia-areamyelomapatientwho
wasdiagnosed20yearsagothismonth.“Noteveryonedoesaswellaswedo,but
Don’sdramaticachievementshelpusencouragecontinuedmedicalprogress,so
moreandmoreofourfellowpatientscanshareintheextendedgoodhealthand
improvedlongevitythatischangingthecourseofthisdisease.”
AndrewSchorr,Co-FounderandPresidentofPatientPower,whoisalsoa20-year
cancersurvivor,says,“IrecentlyattendedameetingofthePresident’sCancerPanel,
wherethechairpersonsaidthatwedon’twanttodiscouragemedicalprogress,but
toencouragethedevelopmentofvaluablemedicinesanddeliverysystems.Don’s
runningcertainlyreinforcesthosewords,whichiswhywearepleasedtosupport
hisrunningandproudthathesupportsusinreturn.”
Don,whosecampaigniscalledeRaceCanceronsocialmedia,hassetasiderunning
inmarathonsforafewmonths.Insteadheistakingpartin5kand10krunstobuild
muscleandendurance,allpartofmaintaininggoodhealth.Theshorterracesalso
meanmorepeoplecanjoininwithouttherigoroustrainingneededformarathons.
MilesforMyelomawillinvolvemorethanathousandparticipantsrunningand
walkingthroughsomeofthemostpicturesquesectionsofPhiladelphia.
“I’mthrilledtobereturningtothesceneofmypersonaltriumph,100marathons
withcancer,andhumbledtoberunningalongsidesomanyfellowpatientsandtheir
supportersthistimearound,”saysDonWright,whoturned76yearsoldinJanuary.
“Ilovethecity,theparksandthepeopleandI’mgladtoberunningtoraise
awarenessofnewtreatmentsforrarecancers.”
Noteveryonecanruneventheseshorterdistances.PhilFalkowitznoteshis
myelomahasdestroyedhislowerbackvertebra,sohestaysinshapebygoingtothe
gymtwiceaweekforlowimpactexercise.
ButPhiladds,“Thekeymessagehereisnotwhatwecan’tdo,buttoconcentrateon
whatwecanachieve.Ifinditinterestingthattheyounger,healthierrunnersrace
throughthecourseasfastastheycan,whiletherestofusknowit’sOKtogoslower,
sowecantakeinwhatlifeisallabout.”
Theracebeginsat8:30amonSaturday,April22attheMemorialHall/PleaseTouch
Museum.PhilwillintroduceDonforabriefpeptalkbeforetheracebegins.
IMPORTANTLINKS:
www.facebook.com/eRaceCancer
www.twitter.com/eRaceCancer
www.patientpower.info
Contacts
ForPatientPower
DeanneEagle,917-837-5866
[email protected]