Woman climbs Kilimanjaro after life-changing blood cancer diagnosis

Sponsored by GSK

This is Allison's personal multiple myeloma story, and others may be different. Allison is a paid spokesperson for GSK.

Allison's Story

When the back pain, exhaustion and string of respiratory infections hit, Allison Freedman initially chalked it up to the price of a busy life. At age 42, the active mom of twins was fresh out of an MBA program and had just moved to Boulder, Colorado, to start a new job.

As she continued to feel worse and the pain became excruciating, she knew something was wrong. A CT scan revealed multiple broken vertebrae and ribs, and then she heard the words no one is ever prepared for: you have cancer.

A PET scan, bloodwork and bone marrow biopsy confirmed that it was multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that forms in the bone marrow, weakening the bones and immune system[i].

Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the US[ii], with more than 35,000 new cases diagnosed each year[iii].

While anyone can get multiple myeloma, it's most common in people 65 and older, slightly more common in men than women and twice as common among Black Americans versus white[iv]. Freedman didn't fit the typical profile at all, which made her diagnosis all the more surreal.

The Battle Begins

Freedman's doctor told her that although there is no cure for multiple myeloma, there are treatments available[v]. She first underwent induction, or front-line therapy, before it was determined that she was a candidate for high dose chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant to rebuild her bone marrow using her own healthy cells[vi].

After the transplant, her cancer went into remission, and she started maintenance therapy to help keep it from coming back. She continues regular care and monitoring by her oncology team. For any person diagnosed with multiple myeloma, this ongoing care and monitoring with your healthcare team is critical as the majority of patients see the cancer return following initial treatment success (known as a recurrence or relapse), or fail to respond to treatment altogether (known as refractory)[vii].

Through it all, Freedman devoted every ounce of her energy to making memories with her kids, who were eight years old at the time of her diagnosis.

"I started to see the value of things I had been rushing through," Freedman said. "Parenting can be grueling, but suddenly I wanted every moment with my kids."

Climbing Back to Life

Although Freedman's cancer seemed to be at bay, she was still very weak, and the fractures had yet to heal. Despite all that, she had a strong drive to get back to her active lifestyle.

"It started with short walks, then longer ones. I missed being out in nature, so I pushed myself, bit by bit," Freedman said.

Then, she heard about a group of multiple myeloma survivors and supporters who were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro — the tallest mountain in Africa — to raise awareness and money for the disease. The idea was daunting, but for Freedman, it wasn't just about the physical challenge. It was about reclaiming her life. At age 50, after months of preparation, she found herself standing at the foot of the mountain, ready to begin her ascent.

The climb was brutal, but it was also healing.

"Getting to the top with this new community I'd found — it was one of the most powerful moments of my life," Freedman said.

Moving Forward

After that experience, Freedman started sharing her story with the world so that she might help others to find their inner fortitude and imagine a future full of possibilities.

Her twins, now high school seniors, have grown up witnessing their mother's incredible resilience.

"Their childhood has been shaped by having a mom with cancer," Freedman said. "But I hope they've learned that even when life gets hard, you don't give up. You put one foot in front of the other."

Learn more about multiple myeloma: https://us.gsk.com/en-us/company/oncology/multiple-myeloma/

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NPUS-AOUCOCO240017 December 2024

Produced in USA.