Name: Chuck Wakefield

Age: Will be 69 on July 15.......also will be 11 years old August 12, date of bone marrow transplant Aug 12, 2004.

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Reason for climbing:Multiple Myeloma Patient. To be part of a team that highlights the importance and achievements of Multiple Myeloma Research. And to have fun while setting another goal and achieving it.

My Story:Always active, I was diagnosed in December 2003 with MM, then was treated for 7 months with Thalidomide. Whew! Then bone marrow transplant August 2004 - I just wanted to get out of the hospital, because I was in there during the most important bicycle event of the year, the Hotter N Hell Hundred. In remission for several years, my M-Spike appeared again, and Dr. Berryman kept it around 1.0, as I was doing well, working, exercising, etc. It kept creeping downward, and as soon as I turned in my letter of retirement, it has been ZERO for the past 4 months! I speak to support groups and treat many MM and other bone marrow patients for oral problems, and preach the importance of PERFECT oral hygiene. My attitude is we need to kick MM out of this world, and apply things learned to other cancers as well! Let's climb this little hill!