Nutley Couple Climbs Mountains: ‘Cancer Wasn’t Part Of The Plan’

NUTLEY, NJ — A Nutley couple rocked by a serious cancer diagnosis two years ago are now literally climbing mountains in their quest to raise awareness about multiple myeloma.

On Nov. 9, Mike and Kathleen Mankowich will be part of a 13-person team that will travel across Patagonia, a sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America. They’ll be crossing over glaciers, through deep valleys and up dizzying mountain peaks… all in an effort to help other people suffering from the incurable disease to surmount their own challenges.

See their fundraising page or make a donation here.

The voyage – which will last until Nov. 18 – is a joint initiative between the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), CURE Media Group and Celgene.

Like the Mankowiches, each of the participants has a connection to multiple myeloma, whether they’re patients or family members who support them.

It’s going to be a challenge, but given Mike’s background as a former collegiate wrestler for Cornell University and Kathleen's background as a former competitive marathon runner, there is a large chance for success, the couple say.

It’s not like they haven’t climbed metaphorical mountains before.

After Mike was diagnosed with multiple myeloma about two years ago, he was forced to put his “tough guy” persona to the test. These days, he’s learning to find his new normal with unrelenting support from his wife and daughter, Mary.

But the memory of the ongoing saga is still fresh in his memory, he wrote.

“In the year prior to my diagnosis, I committed myself to getting back in shape. After years of losing weight for wrestling, my body had struck back in an almost violent manner, by packing on an additional 40 unnecessary, unwanted and unsightly pounds. After attending close to a year of local ‘boot camp’ classes at 5:30 a.m. each morning, I felt as though I was almost where I needed to be. I dropped close to 30 pounds and felt great, well at least until I started to get those pesky back problems which I attributed to past wrestling injuries. Two chiropractors, one doctor and x-ray technology totally whiffed on the issue! It was not until I went to a spinal cord specialist, who ordered a detailed MRI scan, that we were able to figure out the problem. I knew I was in trouble when he called the morning after the scan and mentioned something about certain cells that were found in my bone marrow that were not supposed to be there. I had him e-mail the MRI report to me while sitting at my desk at work. I read through the first few paragraphs, which I found thoroughly confusing. However, the closing paragraph was very easy to understand. The report coldly and definitively concluded that I was suffering from either multiple myeloma or metastatic disease.”

Kathleen Mankowich also recalls that difficult time in their lives with a mix of sadness and perseverance.

“Cancer was not part of the plan,” she says. “For months after his diagnosis, I was certain the sweet life we had together would never be the same. But Mike entered a clinical trial and did well. We focused on the good news, long-term survivor stories, cutting-edge science and hope. The MMRF offered all these things. We were not alone. Meeting with doctors, attending conferences and hearing the stories of others living with multiple myeloma made all the difference.”

That courage has helped the Mankowich family to stick together and remember what’s truly important in life, she said.

“We’ve been married for almost 20 years and have a daughter, Mary Camille, a high school senior, who has been a tremendous support throughout Mike’s treatment and recovery,” Kathleen said. “She excelled in school, practiced hard with her rowing team and Mike never missed one of her racing events. In fact, some parents high-fived his bald head because they thought he was rocking a new hair style!”

“Trekking in Patagonia is probably the last thing I ever thought I would be doing,” the Nutley resident added. “But like the multiple myeloma journey, life changes us in directions we could never have anticipated. I’m truly honored to be part of the Patagonia team and by Mike’s side always.”

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