When he was first diagnosed with myeloma, doctors gave John Tracy less than two years to live. But a transplant from his own stem cells gave him new hope. 4 years later, he ran out of treatment options.

Tracy says, "my doctor, Doctor Song, suggested that we stop everything and let my system normalize and try to get ne on a trial for a new drug called velcade. It woeked like gangbusters for me."

Accessing new drug treatments is what gives keeps patients like John alive, but they don't come without cost.

Dr. Mike Barnett, Head of VGH and UBC Divisions of Hematology, says, "there are some effective treatments, but they carry toxicity, we want them to be more effective, we also want them to be less toxic."

To develop better treatments, VGH is setting up a hematology clinical trials unit with the help of funds raised by the Diana Krall and Friends Charity Benefit. Krall's mother, Adella, was the inspiration for the ongoing event. She died in 2002 after a six year battle with multiple myeloma.

Krall comments, "there people have been doing the hard work. I just come and play, it's very nice for me to come and talk, but these people have a good time, make people aware of what's possible."

The drug velcade, gave John a year and a half of freedom to be healthy and active once again, but his battle isn't over yet.

John says, "I discovered two days ago that I'm relapsing so sometime in the next 2-6 months, I may be back on some other treatment."

John hopes the trial unit will help help him get access to some of these treatments. It's the development of new drugs that him and lots of other people are counting on.

Sunday night's sold out performance feated Tony Bennet, Elton John, former US President Bill Clinton, as well as Diana's husband Elvis Costello. Diana says her mom would have been thrilled because Adella has met all of the performers, except for her husband Elvis. Diana plans to continue the fundraisers every two years. 

Monday April 24, 2006