Delina and Beth Gentleman, local mother and daughter, will be participating in the sixth annual Prince George Multiple Myeloma March taking place at Caledonia Nordic Ski Club on Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.
Delina has multiple myeloma, a little-known and incurable cancer of the plasma cells.
In 2016, Delina, a retired care aid and mother of three adult children, couldn’t understand what was causing recurrent sharp pain in her shoulder.
At first she didn’t think much of it and chalked it up to the discomforts of aging but when the pain was accompanied by severe fatigue, Delina became worried. It was discovered Delina had multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, a little-known and incurable blood cancer. Delina was diagnosed after her doctor ran some blood tests when she was 71 years old.
Delina continues her fight against myeloma to this day with help from her daughter Beth, who is her caregiver.
The family remains hopeful that advances in research will keep the cancer at bay and, ultimately, that a cure will be found.
While myeloma is the second most common form of blood cancer, few people have ever heard of it.
The number of Canadians living with myeloma is on the rise, increasing the urgent need for greater investment in and access to life-saving treatments and care.
“Every year, we’re getting closer to finding a cure,” Martine Elias, executive director of Myeloma Canada, said. “That’s why the funds raised at the Prince George Multiple Myeloma March are so critical. They’ll help to keep myeloma research moving forward and to improve the lives of Canadians impacted by this devastating disease.”
Delina, Beth, and their fellow marchers have set a fundraising goal of $18,000 to help further critical research for this deadly blood cancer.
For more information about the march visit Myeloma Canada.
