CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Multiple myeloma blood cancer patients and doctors completed the inaugural three-day cycling expedition in Iceland last week, raising nearly 0,000.

From August 29 through September 3, a group of 12 participants — including patients, doctors and sponsors — were selected to participate in the Iceland Cycling Expedition in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Thomas Goode, Durham resident and multiple myeloma patient at Duke Hospital, had the opportunity to join the cycling fundraiser alongside his doctor, Cristina Gasparetto. He said the trip made him feel alive.

“You know, just the excitement, just the surrealness, the fact that I’m —as a myeloma patient— I’m riding a bicycle in Iceland,” Goode said. “It gives off a meaning that I can show others that even though we have this disease, there are things that we can do if our myeloma allows us to.”

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells, which are white blood cells that make antibodies, according to the International Myeloma Foundation. It is called multiple myeloma because it can grow in multiple areas in the bone and is considered incurable.

Goode, 53, was diagnosed with myeloma at age 34 after experiencing excruciating shoulder pain. Since then, he has undergone three stem cell transplants and radiation treatment and is currently undergoing infusion treatment every two weeks.

“I’m patient about a lot of things that are going on,” Goode said. “I’m at peace with whatever is said, whatever diagnosis is given. And that’s part of me having this myeloma for a long time.”

Gasparetto has been Goode’s physician since 2007 and said they have developed a strong emotional bond.

Sylvia Dsouza, vice president of development at The International Myeloma Foundation, rode alongside them in Iceland and experienced this bond firsthand.

“They’re extremely, extremely close,” Dsouza said. “She was very fond of him. You know, it was also very special to see both of them doing this expedition together. I could see that she will do anything to make sure Thomas is okay.”

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), a nonprofit based in North Hollywood, CA, helps people suffering with multiple myeloma. It started the ICE fundraiser to raise money and awareness for multiple myeloma.

The event supported the Black Swan Research Initiative, an IMF project to cure myeloma, and the iStopMM Research Project in Iceland, which aims to test everyone in the country over the age of 40 to study the disease’s evolution.

The group has raised about $147,300, closing in on their $150,000 goal.

The cyclists rode 36 miles a day through rough terrain with heavy rain and powerful winds, according to Gasparetto. Gasparetto, who often cycles for fun, said the wind was unpredictable.”

We couldn’t control our bike,” Gasparetto said. “The first day was all gravel, and was full of potholes and ridges. It was like all of our bodies were shaking. And then the second day, the wind was out of control.”

She said everyone was determined to complete the route and would not let the weather stop them.

Dsouza took a year to plan the logistics of the trip and bring it to life. Dsouza said the event raised critical funds and awareness for the myeloma community, but there’s still a long way to go.

She was able to ride alongside the team and was blown away by each patient’s resilience.

“They do not take no for an answer,” Dsouza said. “Everybody had a smile on their face. They were there because they wanted to do it. They were there because they wanted to do it for themselves. They were there because they wanted to do it for other patients. They wanted to do it because they wanted to be a part of making change.”

Goode has been heavily involved in the myeloma community since his diagnosis. He started the Triangle Area Multiple Myeloma Support Group in Durham in 2014. He started the support group to provide a place for people battling the disease to come together and share their experiences. He said it was God’s way of showing him that his purpose is to inspire others.

Gasparetto said the team will treasure the ICE experience forever. She said she hopes it will show the patients struggling with myeloma that they still have control over their lives.

“Hopefully, it will allow a lot of patients to be more positive, to live their life and to not be in a situation where the myeloma is dictating their life, but that they’re still in control,” Gasparetto said. “And I think that’s what’s also another important message in the trip, that we are ultimately in control.” There is already a waitlist for the 2025 trip.

 

Edited by Sierra President and Celia Funderburk