From Myeloma Diagnosis to Survival, Advocacy, and Healing: Kimberly Hart's Story

My story is more than a cancer story.

It is a story of strength, faith, resilience, family, advocacy, financial hardship, gratitude, and learning how to keep going when life changes in ways you never imagined.

In December 2025, my life changed when I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer that would take me on a journey through chemotherapy, treatments, hospital stays, countless doctor appointments, difficult decisions, and eventually a stem cell transplant.

There were moments when I felt strong, and there were moments when I didn't know how I was going to make it through the next day. I experienced the highs and the lows—the fear, the exhaustion, the uncertainty, the tears, the victories, and the moments that reminded me that I was still here.

My treatment journey

Chemotherapy and treatment became a part of my everyday life. My body changed. My strength changed. My hair fell out. My routine changed. Things I once took for granted suddenly became major accomplishments.

Then came my stem cell transplant. The transplant was one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences of my life. High-dose chemotherapy pushed my body to its limits, and recovery brought challenges I never expected.

But I kept reminding myself: I may have cancer, but cancer does not have me.

Learning to advocate for myself

One of the biggest lessons this journey taught me was the importance of self-advocacy.

I learned that sometimes you have to ask questions, make phone calls, follow up, challenge decisions, search for answers, and speak up for yourself—even when you're exhausted.

Being sick doesn't mean you stop fighting for yourself. I had to advocate for my healthcare, my finances, my benefits, my treatment, and the resources I needed to survive.

And I learned something important: No one will go harder for you than you will go for yourself.

The financial struggles nobody talks about

Cancer doesn't just affect your body. It can affect your job, income, transportation, insurance, housing, utilities, bills, and sense of financial security.

While I was fighting multiple myeloma, I was also navigating financial challenges and trying to find resources that could help me stay afloat.

I had to learn how to search for assistance, ask for help, contact organizations, apply for programs, make difficult phone calls, and keep looking even when one door closed.

There were resources and people who helped me along the way, and I want to share those resources because someone else facing cancer shouldn't have to feel like they are completely alone.

My children, my strength

And then there are my two adult children, Terri (28) and Tyvon (21). I don't know if I will ever have the words to fully express what they have meant to me throughout this journey.

They didn't just tell me they loved me. They showed me.

They carried me when I was physically and emotionally exhausted. They helped get me to doctor appointments. They stayed with me during hospital stays. They helped pick up medications. They helped with the things I couldn't do for myself.

They were there through the good days and the incredibly difficult ones. When I didn't have the strength, they stepped up. When I was tired, they helped carry the load. When I needed someone, they were there.

Terri and Tyvon, you carried me through a season I never imagined having to face. I will forever be grateful for you both.

The people who helped me keep going

My journey also taught me that sometimes help comes from places you never expected.

Doctors, nurses, social workers, organizations, foundations, friends, family, supporters, and even people who may have only crossed paths with me briefly became part of my story.

Some helped financially. Some helped with resources. Some prayed. Some called. Some encouraged me. Some brought food.

Some simply reminded me that I mattered.

Every act of kindness became another reminder that I wasn't walking this road alone.

The highs and lows

There were days I celebrated small victories. There were days I cried. There were days I was afraid. There were days I felt completely exhausted. There were days I questioned how much more my body could take.

But somehow, I kept getting back up. Not because I was never afraid. Not because I was always strong.

But because I kept choosing to fight.

Why I'm sharing my story

I'm sharing my story because somebody else may be sitting in a doctor's office right now hearing the words "You have cancer."

Someone may be wondering how they're going to pay their bills. Someone may be overwhelmed by chemotherapy. Someone may be preparing for a stem cell transplant. Someone may be struggling to advocate for themselves. Someone may feel like they have lost control of their life.

And someone may simply need to know: You can survive this moment.

I want my story to provide hope, encouragement, information, resources, and a reminder that asking for help is not weakness.

My diagnosis became part of my story—but it will never become the entirety of who I am.

I am still a mother. I am still a daughter. I am still a grandmother.

I am still a woman with dreams. I am still me. I am not my diagnosis.

I am a survivor. I am a fighter. I am an advocate.

I am healing. And I'm learning how to move from surviving to thriving.

This is my story. This is my Multiple Myeloma journey.

And I'm still here to tell it.