Over the past year, Isabel Wallace, a third-year student in the Broad Business College, and Brittany Ladson, a third-year medical student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, have combined their complementary fields of study to create a year-long fundraiser for Multiple Myeloma patients at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit.
In May 2019, Wallace and Ladson were crowned the Romeo Peach Queen and Runner Up in their hometown of Macomb County. During their year-long reign, they were challenged to select a philantropy and raise funds for it.
Wallace had already developed a project, Music for Myeloma, which honored a close family friend who was diagnosed with the condition several years before. The project involved a charity concert by local artists with all the funds benefitting Karmanos, the hospital where he was treated.
Wallace and Ladson decided to develop the project further. As proud Spartans, they knew they could depend on the Spartan community to help them reach their project goals.
In July 2019, the second Music for Myeloma concert was held at Younger’s Tavern in Romeo, MI. Between the admission fees, vendors and sponsorships, the event generated over $5,000.
That was only the beginning of their philanthropy for Karmanos. During the month of December, osteopathic medical students hosted a holiday card making event and Broad Senate members hosted a fleece blanket making event for all cancer patients during the holiday season. Wallace, also a singer and songwriter, sang Christmas carols for the entire Karmanos Cancer Center.
After bringing joy and love to Karmanos Cancer Center, Wallace and Ladson's reign has now come to an end. They successfully raised awareness for Multiple Myeloma and raised funds to support the cause.
As a medical student, Ladson will continue to raise awareness for myeloma and will treat patients afflicted with it in her upcoming rotations and future career. As an artist, Wallace created a song titled “Grace’s Song” for the daughter of the family friend who inspired Music for Myeloma. Every time this song is played on Spotify or Apple Music, a donation is made to Karmanos Cancer Center.