With Darren's relentless efforts and those of many devoted individuals, the McCarty Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of multiple myeloma and improving the quality of life of myeloma cancer patients while working toward prevention and a cure.
The Foundation is a non-profit corporation under the leadership of an appointed Board of Directors , as well as the guidance of an expert scientific advisory board.
The specific goal of the McCarty Cancer Foundation is to raise funds to finance research which offers significant promise in the search for a cure of this terminal cancer. Money is raised from charitable donations, raffles, and other similar fund-raising events.
Together, with everyone's support, a cure will be found.
About Craig McCarty
Craig McCarty
Born in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, on October 1, 1949, Craig McCarty applied this philosophy to his family life, his career, and to his battle against cancer. He was a loving husband to Roberta, and a supportive father to Darren and Melissa McCarty. Proud of his NHL Detroit Red Wing son Darren, he was even more proud of the father his son had become and Melissa's determination to be a success in her own right.
When he was diagnosed with the multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow and blood, in 1995 at age 46, Mr. McCarty didn't give in to feelings of despair and self-pity. Instead, he decided it was much better to be grateful for what you have than to be upset about what you don't have. And after a difficult conversation with hockey analyst Don Cherry, who had lost his wife to cancer, Mr. McCarty vowed to raise money for cancer research, not wanting to see anyone else lose a loved one to cancer.
In 1997, Darren helped his dad reach for his goal as his dad had helped him so many times in the past, by founding the McCarty Cancer Foundation as a Father's Day present. As Mr. McCarty struggled with the cancer consuming him, he became increasingly more determined to bring hope to others. To date, the foundation has raised nearly $4 million for multiple myeloma research.
"Craig faced life and ultimately his death with heart, courage and 110 percent effort. Even faced with a fatal diagnosis, and knowing his death was inevitable, he still found an abundance of hope that he wanted to share with others," said McCarty Cancer Foundation board member and friend Patrick Kelly. "And while he lost his battle with cancer in the early morning hours of November 24 (1999), he has not lost the war. His mission will continue in the memory of his family, friends, and supporters and in the spirit of the McCarty Cancer Foundation."