Son Of 'Dear Abby' Gives $1 MillionFor Multiple Myeloma Research
Son Of âDear Abbyâ Gives $1 Million
For Multiple Myeloma Research
NEW CANAAN (AP) -â The son of the columnist who wrote âDear Abbyâ has donated $1 million for research into a cure for the blood cancer disease multiple myeloma, a nonprofit group announced last week.
Edward J. Phillips, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2003, and his wife Leslye, donated the money to the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), based in New Canaan.
âWe are grateful to Eddie and Leslye for giving us such a generous donation knowing that his gift will be used to directly fight multiple myeloma,â said Kathy Giusti, president and founder of the consortium. âThis funding for the MMRC will help us to fulfill our mission to accelerate drug development and a cure for this disease by bringing together the top people in myeloma research with the most state-of-the-art technology.â
Phillipsâ donation was given to the research consortium with a request for a matching gift of an additional $1 million by the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation to support research into a cure for multiple myeloma. The disease is incurable but treatable.
âThe MMRC has made it possible to put needed resources behind this uncommon disease, helping thousands of people each year,â Mr Phillips said.
After a successful stem cell transplant and chemotherapy, Mr Phillips is in remission.
About 50,000 Americans are living with multiple myeloma and more than 11,000 die annually from the disease, experts said. Multiple myeloma is the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkinâs lymphoma.
Mr Phillips is the chief executive officer and founder of Millennium Import LLC, makers of Belvedere and Chopin vodkas, and a partner with Mo Jet Hennessy, a division of luxury goods manufacturer LVMH, Louis Vuitton Mo Jet Hennessy.
The new consortium, which includes the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and Mayo Clinic and University Health Network, is trying to accelerate the drug development process and find a cure for multiple myeloma.