US veterans cycle across Iceland to fund myeloma research

A group of nearly 30 people has cycled hundreds of kilometres across Iceland to raise awareness and funds for research into the blood cancer multiple myeloma, mbl.is reports. The visit is the group’s third awareness and fundraising trip to Iceland.

Among the participants is Eric Blackburn, a Gulf War veteran from Portland, Oregon, who has smouldering myeloma, a precursor condition to the disease. Speaking from a hotel in Reykjavík, Blackburn joked that his luggage had not arrived on his flight, but said the missing bags were insignificant compared with the group’s mission.

Blackburn had previously visited Iceland once, on a family trip around New Year. He said the cycling group changes from year to year, so it is not made up of the same participants.

The group met with Icelandic specialists from Landspítali University Hospital and deCODE genetics, as well as the Icelandic myeloma team led by Dr Sigurður Yngvi Kristinsson, a professor of haematology at the University of Iceland’s medical faculty.

Dr Saad Usmani, Blackburn’s doctor and a myeloma specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, also joined the visit. It was his second time accompanying a cycling group to Iceland.

“We will meet with the Icelandic myeloma team and hold a kind of seminar where we will review the situation, especially the Icelandic research,” Usmani said.

Most of the cyclists are people with myeloma at different stages of the disease. They spoke about their own conditions at the meeting and listened to presentations from the Icelandic team.

The trip was supported by the International Myeloma Foundation, which runs a support programme for US service members with precursor myeloma conditions or myeloma. The foundation has also supported the Icelandic Blood Screening to Save Lives research project since its launch, in which around 80,000 Icelanders have participated.

The foundation’s chief executive, Heather Cooper Ortner, accompanied the group to Iceland.