I believe in love at first sight. JP and I knew instantly from the day we met that we were meant to be together. I’ll never forget meeting him at Backstreet Restaurant in January 1994. He was standing at the end of the bar and I happened to sit next to him and we started talking. I was quickly head over heels with my new best friend. We married 10 months later and have been inseparable ever since.

For the first 20 years of our marriage, I was always the one in the hospital either giving birth or dealing with some sort of ailment or surgery. We had four kids in five years. I was on bed rest with Lily, contracted viral meningitis twice, had carpal tunnel surgery, knee surgery and back surgery. JP was always patiently taking care of me, making sure I was OK. He was so concerned about me whenever I was ill or recovering. He, on the other hand, was strong and healthy and rarely even went to the doctor.

Then, in April of 2014 he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and we were all in shock. It was a punch in the gut. He was the pillar of strength so how could this be? How could our rock be facing this incurable cancer?

As we tried to navigate this new road, I knew we had to be a united front, not only as a couple but as a family. Our kids were teenagers when JP was diagnosed and we worried so much about them. Tommy, our oldest, was just heading off to college. Would he be ok so far from home without his family support system? Lily was the youngest and daddy’s little girl. Would she think the worst? Would Brendan and Jake talk to us about how they felt and if they were scared? We just wanted our kids to be OK.

From day one, JP didn’t want sympathy or for this new diagnosis to define him. He wanted our life to be as normal as possible. We checked in with the kids often and we were very honest and open about his doctors visits and results. We laughed and cried together but mostly knew that together we WOULD get through this as a family. JP and I wanted our kids to be resilient because, quite frankly, every family faces some challenge in their lives. In some ways this diagnosis has made us so much closer. We don’t sweat the small stuff and we appreciate things a little differently. We embrace every day. Our happiest moments are when the six of us are all together.

Before COVID-19, I never missed a doctor's appointment, bone marrow biopsy, PET scan or infusion for JP. I wanted to be there by his side helping him try to understand this very complicated illness just like he’d been there for me countless times!

When we had the opportunity to do our first MM4MM trek to Everest Base Camp in 2018, I was nervous but also excited to take on this challenge with JP. I wanted to be more involved in raising awareness and funds for research. It gave this horrible cancer a purpose. We could make lemonade out of lemons!
EBC was life changing in so many ways. We met other inspirational patients and doctors and this time together allowed us to connect deeply with them. In 2019, we were on the Patagonia trek and it was equally rewarding.

As JP and I embark on our third trek for MM4MM to Alaska, I count my blessings. One, for JP and I to continue our partnership in everything we do. As we walk side by side, I marvel at his stamina and relentless fight. He gives me strength because while he has cancer we both live with the results.
I am so proud of him for helping other patients recognize that they can live a very full life with multiple myeloma.
Two, I’d be remiss to not thank Dr. Bar and Dr, Jaganath who have not only cared for JPs physical health but also his quality of life. They’ve kept JP healthy so he CAN climb mountains literally and figuratively!!
Finally, I am forever grateful to the MMRF for not only supporting us as a family every step of the way, but believing in us and giving us the opportunities to partake in treks that have changed our life for the better.

Team Kealy is humbled and honored to continue walking, running and trekking until there is a cure…someday very soon!
JPSTRONG!❤️