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MY STORY
Sally's passion for life is contagious. After being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma she dedicated her infectious energy to motivating not only herself but also encouraging others to power through adversity and not give up hope or belief in themselves. Sally is a frequent talk-show guest, motivational speaker, cancer survivor, and now, an author. Her book Life Gets in the Way: Powering Through Adversity with Grit & Grace is available now.
In 2008, Sally's life changed abruptly. She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. The situation intensified when 5 months after Sally's diagnosis, her husband was diagnosed with a genetic form of cancer. 8 months later, Pete passed away. At the age of 47, Sally had become widowed, was raising three kids, working full time, and living with Multiple Myeloma.
As a way to manage the stress, Sally started running up the stairs during her lunch break. This activity became more official as she transitioned into competitive stair climbing. She began channeling all of her energy raising money for charities with this new sport. Over the years Sally has raised over $110,000 for charities including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). All the while, rising in the rankings for the tower runs to 5th in the United States and 20th overall in the world. But as her rankings improved, her cancer worsened, and she needed to start treatment in 2016. After a year of treatment, Sally underwent an autologous stem cell transplant in 2017.
In 2023, Sally became constantly ill. After months of testing, she was diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency; a disease that causes an increased susceptibility to infection. At first, doctors thought this may have been a side effect of the chemotherapy she had taken, but blood tests going back to 2015 proved she had CVID before treatment began. Possibly her entire life.
Facing both Multiple Myeloma and Common Variable Immune Deficiency has not been easy for Sally. It has had its ups and downs. She still takes chemo as maintenance therapy and now has bi-weekly infusions of immunoglobulin to boost her immune system. Sally's health looms large in her life, as well as the health of her children—her husband's cancer was genetic. She worries about her children needing to fight health battles of their own. Her resiliency and tenacious spirit power her through all of this uncertainty and help her to spread positivity and hope to others dealing with similar challenges.
"WHEN I THINK I CAN'T GO ON, I JUST DO."
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