Sometimes, all it takes to succeed is knowing that someone is depending on you. For example, numerous studies have shown that there is better quality of life for elderly people who have a pet. Researchers cite the fact that these elderly people know they have to be there for their pet as the driving force for more exercise, improved diet, and better mental capacity. Anyone who has ever trained for a marathon with a team knows the benefits of accountability when logging those seemingly endless miles.
This rhetoric of community amplifies the good being done by programs like Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma.
According to the Somerville Journal, from July 16-21, a team of people from this program were on the slopes of Mt. Fuji, approximately an hour outside Tokyo. The team of approximately 20 individuals hiked up to the summit to raise awareness and funds for multiple myeloma research.
Multiple myeloma is a rare form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow of less than 1% of the population. There are numerous FDA-approved drug therapies for the disease, as well as bone marrow transplantation for treatment.
The Moving Mountains for Multiple Myeloma program is partially funded by Takeda Oncology, a pharmaceutical company with several drugs on the market. In fact, this week, Lisa Bedford, an employee at Takeda, was in the party that summited the picturesque peak.
Lisa was inspired to join the team when a co-worker returned from the Moving Mountains trip to the Grand Canyon and raved about the wonderful experiences he had and the great people that he met who were living with multiple myeloma.
