Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of multiple myeloma, the blood cancer that claimed the life of her mother, Pamela, in 2017. The 'Get Ahead of Multiple Myeloma' initiative, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, aims to educate the public about the warning signs of this treatable but incurable disease.
Multiple myeloma affects over 33,000 people in the UK, yet research shows that 57% of people surveyed had never heard of it. Holmes described the lack of awareness as 'stark' and emphasised the need for early diagnosis. 'With all blood cancers, but in particular multiple myeloma, there is a lack of awareness of what it is,' she said.
Early symptoms of myeloma include fatigue, bone pain and recurring infections – all of which are vague and easily attributed to other causes. Holmes recalled that her mother's initial symptoms were dismissed as back pain from being pulled by a dog. 'The scariest thing was that there were no real signs. We didn't know the symptoms,' she said.
Dr Sophie Castell, Chief Executive of Myeloma UK, praised Holmes for her efforts. 'Myeloma is too often missed because the warning signs are misunderstood. We're so grateful to Kelly for working so hard to change that,' she said. The charity has developed a Symptom Translator to help patients articulate their symptoms to doctors.
Holmes hopes the campaign will help others avoid the traumatic experience her family endured. 'For me, it's a real personal thing to do this campaign. I want to do it in her memory, but also so other people are able to get that early diagnosis,' she said.
