Never Give Up!
Martine Elias, Executive Director
Never give up; even fighting cancer will show you amazing things about yourself, your family, your friends and people you don't even know. Your fight, your resilience will make a difference in yours and someone else's life. 
Since becoming the Executive Director at Myeloma Canada, I have made a point of sending a personal response to every patient and caregiver that signs up to our database to let them know they are not alone, and that we have a small but dedicated team of people here to help them. This has resulted in many patients and caregivers getting in touch with me, either by email or phone, to share their journeys and experiences, or to seek support and assistance with treatment access. I feel privileged to listen to everyone who has opened up to me, and I do so with an open heart; each story is so deeply personal. 
You all have such moving stories and everyone’s experience is their own. Having said that, there have been a few extraordinary ones that I’d like to share with you here.

There’s the story of the young caregiver who quit her job to take care of her mother who was going through a whirlwind treatment schedule and a very aggressive disease. Alone and away from home, this young girl sold everything in her possession to pay for her mom’s treatment.

There’s the story of a young patient just diagnosed, who has two children and a partner who had also received a cancer diagnosis. Amongst their many struggles was trying to find a way to tell their kids that they would do everything they could to be there for their graduations.

And then there’s the family of a patient who urgently called in December 24 th , trying desperately to get access to a new treatment that had just been approved in Canada. Being right before Christmas, everyone was gone. Without a blink, I spent a good part of Christmas Eve giving them advice and was actually able to speak with their doctor. 

There are many more stories like these, and the one thing they have in common is that the people involved Never Gave Up!
I grew up where the notion of giving up was not an option until you had exhausted every possible avenue and resource. Only then should I accept the fact that I had done everything possible. But never giving up on learning to ride a two-wheel bicycle, or never giving up on getting that dream job does not even come close to being in the same stratosphere as not giving up to cancer. The one thing it does have in common is understanding that perseverance, drive and determination are an incredible triple threat!
One other person who has unknowingly shown me that never giving up is simply not an option, is our co-founder, Aldo Del Col. Many moons ago, he told me “there is always another solution”. Aldo is now planning his next treatment, his 7 th , with the same “ go get ‘er ” attitude as when I met him after his very first one in 2006.
The good news is that today, science is making great progress and advancing rapidly. There are more treatment options and trials than ever before. So, never give up! I know I won’t.

I will continue fighting for all of you.

Martine Elias
Executive Director
“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up
the fight.” - Bob Marley