The Background
In November 2012, Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal trumpet, Ryan Anthony had just completed a guest appearance with
his old group, Canadian Brass and wasn’t feeling well. After the concert, Ryan told his wife, Niki, that he felt like
his entire body was “jangling” as he ran off-stage.
Recent chronic aches & pains had sent the then 43-yr old to multiple doctors searching for the cause. Blood tests revealed
abnormalities but multiple doctors reassured him that “it can’t be cancer” because Ryan was too young to be a candidate
for the types of cancers that caused his symptoms. Fortunately one doctor decided to test for cancer “just in case”.
The Monday after the Canadian Brass concert, Ryan & Niki got the call that no one anticipates or is prepared for – especially
with two young children in elementary school – Ryan had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a terminal cancer of the bone
marrow that most often appears in patients 65 and older.
Just ten years ago, multiple myeloma was a death sentence with a life span of 3-5 years. While the cancer is still considered
incurable and terminal, recent, rapid advances in research have greatly extended the life span of newly diagnosed patients and
hope for a cure is a real possibility. In 2015 alone, three new drugs were approved for treatment of multiple myeloma by the
FDA increasing treatment options by 20%.
When he was diagnosed, Ryan’s goal was to survive long enough to see his children, then just 6 and 11-years-old, graduate from
high school. But, because he has responded so well to his treatment, Ryan & Niki both dare to hope for more.
During his transplant, Ryan was overwhelmed with phone calls from trumpet players all over the world. Everyone asked what they
could do to help and Ryan jokingly started saying “we’ll all play a concert when I am healthy again and we’ll call it cancer blows”.
As the weeks went by, the joke solidified into a real event with an impressive guest list. Soon Ryan & Niki realized the event
could be more than just something for fun but could be used to raise awareness and money to further the research that has helped
give their family a hope for a future.