With continued growth, Snow flexed its Patient Ambassador model to tackle a series of different and increasingly challenging conditions, including the addition of blood cancers to Snow’s already diverse portfolio, and the widening of its global reach.
It was around this time when a mother and son team (patient and caregiver) joined Snow’s family of Ambassadors. The mother, Brenda, had spent years working as a computer analyst for a large communications company. Her career taught her to become a problem solver. So when she was faced with the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, she approached it with logic and determination.
Brenda walked her journey hand in hand with her grown children, and her youngest son, Steve, was there the day the doctor delivered the news of her terminal diagnosis. Since that day Steve took the reins of his mother’s caregiving with the rest of the family in full support close behind. Between stem cell transplants, a regimen of different treatments, and learning as much as she could about multiple myeloma, their family bond grew stronger. Brenda credited receiving support and being grounded in a strong faith with helping her manage her disease. Learning that it was okay to accept help from her loved ones made all the difference for Brenda. At a time when the survival prognosis for multiple myeloma was dire, Brenda kept going. By sharing their story, she and Steve inspired countless others with others living with multiple myeloma until Brenda’s passing in 2019.
Today, Steve, is a happily married man and father of five who values spending time with family. In the last 12 years, he’s learned how to live in the moment, to laugh more, and do everything he can to enjoy life to the fullest. Being an Ambassador gave Steve perspective. By sharing his own story alongside his mother’s, he was able to see first-hand how much joy it brought Brenda to talk with people and find ways to make their lives a little bit better. Steve knows he made her proud by connecting with others who were on the same journey.