International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) Launches 31 Days of Resilience Campaign for Myeloma Action Month in March 2021

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spearheaded by the International Myeloma Foundation, Myeloma Action Month takes place every March to encourage individuals and groups to take actions that positively impact the myeloma community. This year the IMF invites you to join the myeloma community and nurture your own resilience. We can all take small actions in our lives to enhance our well-being, fortify our resilience, and improve the lives of those in the myeloma community. The IMF sees that those in the myeloma community are resilient on a daily basis, and also recognizes that people do not need to feel resilient all the time. This year proves especially timely for the theme of resilience, as the world continues to cope with the stress of the pandemic.

The IMF is asking individuals and groups to spread myeloma awareness on a global scale by using the hashtag #IAMRESILIENT2021, #MyelomaWarrior, and/or #MyelomaACTIONMonth on all social media channels. When using these hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, these posts will stream to the IMF's digital "Wall of Resilience" at the Myeloma Action Month website http://mam.myeloma.org.

The focus this March is on small actions people can do each day of the week. For that reason, visitors to the Myeloma Action Month website will be able to find shareable graphics for their social media channels. These graphics include 31 Facts—or one myeloma fact to share for each day of the month, as well as 31 Ways to take tangible actions to nurture your resilience. Some examples include taking a walk, catching up with a family member, or watching the sunrise. The IMF encourages community members to take a picture of themselves doing any of these activities and post those pictures to social media.

Additionally, available on the website are signature Myeloma Action Month-branded merchandise, including a pin, a black fleece pullover hat, a black fleece scarf, a gray T-shirt, as well as Myeloma Warrior T-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts.

Susie Durie, President and CEO of the IMF, said, "March is Myeloma Action Month, and it's a time to reflect on the past and what we achieved as well as look forward to what lies ahead. This past year has been challenging for several reasons, including the global pandemic that we are all in at the moment. This year for Myeloma Action Month, we celebrate how individuals stepped up, took a deep breath to nurture their resilience, and coped with change to become Myeloma Warriors."

How can you get involved this Myeloma Action Month?

Individual Actions

• Download this letter from IMF Chairman Dr. Brian G.M. Durie, personalize it, and send it to a health-care practitioner in the local community. The letter spells out potential myeloma signs, symptoms, and diagnostic tests that can be used to educate health care providers who may not be as familiar with the disease.
• Use the hashtag #IAMRESILIENT2021, #MyelomaActionMonth, and/or #MyelomaWarrior on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and share a photo with a caption that describes how that photo represents resilience to you.
• Change your Facebook image and Twitter image to a MAM logo.
• Get some Myeloma Action Month merchandise and take a selfie with it and post to social media.
• Find a virtual support group at https://www.myeloma.org/support-groups or start a virtual support group in your local area bycontacting Robin Tuohy, the IMF's Senior Director of Support Groups.
• Use this local MAM press release to develop a public service announcement (PSA) for a local radio station.

Group Actions

• Attend the IMF Patient & Family Webinar on March 13, 2021.
• Attend the virtual M-Power Charlotte Community Workshop, a new initiative from the IMF and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation that is encouraging the course of change in the African-American myeloma community. This virtual workshop will take place on March 20, 2021.
• Attend the virtual IMF Regional Community Workshop, focusing on the Southern California region, on March 27, 2021.
• For those in a support group, work together with your group to contribute to the "Wall of Resilience" project. Encourage the support group as a team or its individual members to share photos and captions about resilience via social media.

A Special ExperienceStay tuned for a special Mind and Body Experience as part of Myeloma Action Month. Be sure to visit the mam.myeloma.org on March 1st for meditation and yoga exercises geared toward the myeloma community.

The IMF is grateful to the following Platinum Sponsors for supporting Myeloma Action Month: Abbvie, Amgen, The Binding Site, Bluebird Bio, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), GSK, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Oncopeptides, and Sanofi Genzyme, as well as Gold Sponsor Arcotech Biopharma.

For additional information about Myeloma Action Month, please visit: https://mam.myeloma.org/

ABOUT MULTIPLE MYELOMAMultiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells -- white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called "multiple" because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATIONFounded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

Follow the IMF on Twitter @IMFmyeloma.

Contact: Sapna Kumar [email protected] (818) 487-7455

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SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation