Stephanie Feld Starts Research Fund in Memory of Her Mother

Isabel Feld

Stephanie Feld first heard about the MMRF when she attended the annual MMRF Laugh for Life event in NYC. Her mother, Isabel Feld, became ill in 1997 and was seen by two different hematologists who misdiagnosed her before she was correctly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, underscoring the importance of patient advocacy and of seeking a second opinion.

Isabel succumbed to the disease very quickly, and Stephanie felt compelled to take action so that other patients and their families would have better outcomes. The Isabel Feld Myeloma Research Fund was started by Stephanie Feld in Isabel’s memory. The fund’s goal is to support the MMRF’s mission to accelerate drug discovery and drive new, more effective treatments to patients.

Stephanie’s earliest memories of her mother are of her enjoying comedy. They spent time each summer in the Catskills and enjoyed the comediennes most of all. Stephanie attended the Laugh for Life events for years and remembers laughing so hard the tears literally streamed down her face. These events further strengthened her connection to the MMRF.

She was moved by Kathy Giusti’s story and her resolve to transform the pace of cancer research. Stephanie was frustrated by the lack of progress in myeloma research but was inspired by the enormous progress being made by the MMRF with its Precision Medicine Model—collecting patient data, sharing that data with researchers worldwide, and urgently using those findings to design smarter and faster clinical trials.

Multiple myeloma is still a relatively uncommon cancer, yet Stephanie is optimistic about the future. With the MMRF’s unprecedented progress, she is certain that treatments and cures for all patients are on the way.