Les' road to remission

Hello, my name is Leslie MacDonald. I’m 46 years old and was diagnosed at the end of August 2022 with Multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Healthy plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. In cases of multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells. Rather than produce helpful antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can cause complications.

Multiple Myeloma is a terminal cancer that I will not fully get rid of, but with treatment, I can hope for remission. It will be a lifelong battle.

My treatment began last Fall shortly after the diagnosis where I was able to do oral chemotherapy from home for 3 months. Unfortunately, the cancer spread to my spine during this time. My current treatment plan is intravenous chemotherapy, once per month at Vancouver General Hospital, along with daily medications and vitamins, for the next six months.

I am a dad to three young children. Rosalie is my oldest at 6, Aalieya is 5, and Jaxon is a little over a year old. Brittany, my partner, has taken over the income responsibilities of our household due to me being unable to chance infections during my chemotherapy.

My diagnosis has brought along many mental, physical, and emotional obstacles. My beautiful partner, Brittany, is doing the best she can to emotionally and financially support a family of five, while also trying to come up with funds for my treatments. Most days it feels impossible. She works so hard and has been trying to find a second job but with her schedule, our three kids, and helping me through treatment, it's been hard to juggle.

Any donations I receive will go towards the cost of my treatments and would mean the world to me and my family. We are trying to stay positive, but sometimes we aren't sure what our next step will be. We appreciate how supportive everyone has been since I got the news, and that has been keeping my head and spirit up.

Thank you so much for reading my story.

-Les MacDonald