Steve is a 43-year-old husband and father of two. He’s a high school teacher who pours his energy into the classroom, coaches sports, and makes time to stay active, all while prioritizing his young family. He also lives with blood cancer.
What gives him strength is knowing that new options are on the horizon, based on years of research made possible by donors like you.
“It’s only a matter of time before I will need a new treatment.”
Steve’s cancer story begins in the fall of 2018. He was losing energy and by the holiday season he was seriously ill. After blood work and a bone marrow biopsy at CancerCare Manitoba, he heard news that would change his young family’s lives: Steve was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
He was critically ill and needed to start treatment within days.
After 16 intense weeks of treatment, a physically demanding stem cell transplant and long hospital stay, Steve was finally in remission. Steve’s kids were just two and four years old when their dad was diagnosed with cancer for the first time. This good news was exactly what his family needed to breathe a sigh of relief, and get back to living life fully, together.
Until the cancer returned.
Within four years of his first diagnosis, Steve faced two recurrences of cancer. Thankfully, the support of donors meant that new and innovative treatments were available right here in Manitoba.
In June of 2022, a turning point came for Steve. He was accepted into a clinical trial offering a new and innovative treatment for multiple myeloma available in Manitoba and within just two months, there were signs the treatment was working.
The treatment Steve received from the clinical trial continues to have an impact today. Thanks to donor investment in cancer research, the treatment is now approved for other Manitobans with multiple myeloma—helping ensure that when cancer touches you or someone you know, there are more options close to home.
But it wasn’t long until Steve needed a new treatment option, because in the fall of 2024, his cancer returned for a third time.
This time, Steve qualified for a clinical trial to receive CAR T-cell therapy: a groundbreaking treatment that trains the body’s own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. This treatment pushed his cancer into remission once again, something he is grateful for.
Today, Steve continues to undergo regular scans and bloodwork. But he knows he may need new treatment options that don’t exist yet.
Right now, you can help make sure that more treatment options are available for Manitobans with cancer.
By becoming a monthly donor, you’ll directly support local innovative research at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba. Your gifts will ensure Steve and other Manitobans have access to the innovative, life-changing treatment they need.
Steve, his wife Heather, and their two kids know how much of a difference each donation makes.
His story is a reminder that each of us has the power to make a difference.
“When I was first diagnosed with cancer I didn’t think I’d see my kids graduate from high school.
That picture looks different now.”
We are grateful for the generosity of Don Hardy who is matching all gifts up to a total of $25,000.