Eli's Girl

Tonight's the night! It's kind of excitng, in a bittersweet way. While I am so glad that the disease is getting some exposure, I sure wouldn't have minded not being a part of the club. But oh well, we're card carrying members and duty calls. All I want is a cure. I have a husband and my children have a father that we want to grow old with. That's all I want, a simple cure.

FIGHTING A KILLER

By Clare Duffy, NBC News producer

Editor's note: Robert Bazell's report airs on tonight's broadcast. Watch a preview here.
One of the great privileges of working on this broadcast is the opportunity to dig into stories that matter - especially stories that have personal significance as well. Today's piece by Robert Bazell on multiple myeloma is, for me, one of those stories.
A year ago today, my uncle, the actor Peter Boyle, lost his battle with this disease at age 71. It took Gen. Wayne Downing, a much beloved figure here at Nightly News, as well. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, and it lays waste to a person's immune system. It was a terrible way to go, and unimaginably hard for my aunt and cousins to witness. But they were helped tremendously by some very kind and gifted people, in particular my uncle's physician, Dr. Brian Durie, who is featured in tonight's story. Dr. Durie and his wife, Susie Novis, head the International Myeloma Foundation, which is doing groundbreaking research. Some of the results were presented at the American Society of Hematology conference just this week - in particular, some intriguing findings about the impact of exposure to certain toxins in the environment on a person's tendency to develop this disease. Unlike most other cancers, rates of diagnosis are increasing for myeloma and it's vital to figure out why.
Only a few months after my uncle's death, my aunt, Loraine Alterman Boyle - one of the bravest people I know - turned her attention to raising money to help fund that research. And she's not the only one - in tonight's story, we will introduce you to Elijah and Kimberly Alexander. Two years ago, at age 35, Elijah - a retired linebacker for the Oakland Raiders - was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Not so long ago, this disease was confined to older folks. That's not the case anymore. Multiple myeloma took more than 40 pounds off this tower of strength, leaving him barely able to walk across the room. But with the help of his family, and some new therapies, Eli's in remission and he and Kimberly are raising money as well. This disease, while rare, seems to mobilize those who get an unwanted trip to, as Susie Novis calls it, "Myeloma World." Eli and Kim are giving back in a big way, and like my aunt, are doing everything they can to see that others might not have to go through what they've experienced.
There are a great many resources online for multiple myeloma, including:

The International Myeloma Foundation

Elijah Alexander's Tackle Myeloma Foundation

Kim Alexander's blog about her family's experience with myeloma