Biography

Barbara B. Kavanagh, MSW, is the Founder and CEO of the Arizona Myeloma Network (AzMN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, started in 2004 as a grassroots cancer awareness, education and advocacy organization to support patients like Barbara's husband, so they do not have to fight this disease alone. Multiple Myeloma is a rare and often misdiagnosed bone marrow cancer that strikes 2200 people in the U.S. each year. It is not curable, but thanks to earlier diagnosis and new research, many patients will live longer and have a better quality of life. In 2005, AzMN held the first Annual Living with Myeloma Conference and Research Roundtable in Arizona. This free conference now attracts over 350 patients and families, as well as leading myeloma researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals. Under Barbara's leadership, AzMN has developed a number of new cancer education programs, including: ? Tissue Donor Awareness Program, TDAP