I am excited (and nervous!) to be participating in the Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma program in September 2021 during which our team will climb Mount Washington to raise funds and awareness for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF).

My brother, Artie Bifulco was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in the summer of 2018 after experiencing increasing back pain. It was a shock. From the beginning, my brother faced this as he does anything: with tenacity and determination. Artie’s grit is a constant inspiration for me as I see him take a very holistic approach to his physical and mental health with exercise, diet, and prayer.

When he was first diagnosed, our family did what we normally do and circled the wagons. In the beginning Artie and his young family needed a lot of help, but as he and his doctors got the disease under control, we were left considering how we can still support him and others who have MM. Supporting the MMRF seemed an obvious choice. MMRF allows us to support the researchers and doctors working to develop better treatments and a cure. I love how the partnerships with gsk and Cure allow all of my fundraising through this event to go directly to research.

Along with my family, I participated in the 2019 MMRF Team for Cures 5K run in Philly. In 2020, due to COVID we competed in the Journey. This year, my brother suggested the Mt. Washington hike. I am not a hiker, but I could see how excited he was so I buckled down with the training plan and am getting ready!

I am proud to hike with all of the other participants who have been touched by MM, including my sister, sister-in-law, and brother and am looking forward to getting to know everyone else!