Brothers on long ride to help find cancer cure
Acampo resident David Goad is cycling 350 miles from Vermont to Quebec to raise money and awareness for multiple myeloma research.
Although the fundraiser will take him thousands of miles from home, it’s for a cause that’s close to his heart. Nine years ago, Goad’s brother, Jeff, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell.
The plasma cells are crucial for fighting infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. Multiple myeloma causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow, where they crowd out healthy blood cells.
Instead of producing helpful antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can damage the bones, immune system, kidneys, and red blood cell count.
The American Cancer Society has reported that multiple myeloma is not a common form of cancer, however, it is the second most common blood cancer, after non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in the United States.
“I remember my brother calling me and he told he got the C-word, and he was discussing the treatment options, and I remember telling him he was going to fight it, and when he did, I would run a marathon,” Goad recalls.
Goad said he was never really an athletic person but was determined to honor the promise he made to Jeff, even though he had never run a marathon before.
The process of preparing for the marathon took months of getting into shape and building stamina. Brothers Jeff, David, and Brad all ran the Boston Marathon together.
“It’s symbolic that we, a team of three brothers, can do this together, and it has helped us get closer,” Goad said.
Following their completion of the Boston Marathon, the brothers have taken part in multiple events while raising $145,000 for myeloma research.
The brothers have done everything from full Ironman competitions to triathlons and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Jeff does this to honor the people that have lost their lives to M.M., and also to prove to people that anything is possible,” Goad said. “It is Jeff ’s way of saying I am not dying from this, I am living with this. He wants to be an example of how to handle this.”
After Jeff relapsed in January, his doctors told him his body could not handle training for a marathon, so the brothers decided to take part in a six-day endurance cycling program, Road to Victories.
“Jeff is the focal point, we always go at his pace. Brad is a pilot so he is meticulous when it comes to timing and mapping out our distance. I am the entertainment. I sing songs, tell jokes and keep everyone distracted and engaged,” Goad said.
The brothers began riding Tuesday and will continue the journey through Sunday. They are cycling with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, which has helped connect patients with myeloma to information and research.
“We chose cycling because he can’t run, due to lesions on his pelvis, and because cycling is not as intensive, it won’t have the same impact on his body as running would,” Goad said.
Goad believes it is important to tell his brother’s story and to continue raising money for myeloma research.
After Jeff relapsed, he has had to rely on trial medication Pomalyst, which the MMRF helped research and develop, Goad said. MMRF has been instrumental in the development of 10 drugs that have helped multiple myeloma patients.
MMRF also works with doctors and pharmaceutical companies in data sharing and gathering.
“It’s amazing how fast they are making progress. There is no one cure for cancer, but that is what this is all about, getting closer to finding it,” Goad said.
As Jeff navigates his journey through myeloma, Goad enjoys interviewing him and helping his brother document his progress.
Goad is documenting the brother’s journey through the trek to Quebec on his Facebook page, at Facebook.com/davidgoad.
After the brothers finish the race, Goad says they will find something else to do that will help raise awareness for myeloma research.
“Jeff was always my bossy big brother but now we have a better relationship. This journey has taken it to a whole new level. To know I am helping him live his best life has made it an even stronger bond,” Goad said.
To learn more about multiple myeloma and the Goad brothers, or to donate to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, visit