For Gail Grimmett, 1,278 is a precious number. It represents a gift — the approximate number of extra days she was given with her husband Darrell when he came out of remission during his 11-year battle with multiple myeloma.
“My husband got to see his two older grandchildren graduate from sixth grade. He got to meet his new grandchild who was born in 2016. We got to run three more 5Ks together,” she says. “What kind of price can you put on that? Because, to me, that’s priceless.”
Although her husband died in 2019, Grimmett, senior vice president, sustainability performance and strategic partnerships at Delta Air Lines, feels like he beat the odds. He lived a longer and healthier life than most people who receive a multiple myeloma diagnosis. She attributes that additional time to groundbreaking clinical research.
Ultimately, she credits the significant impact of clinical trials in extending Darrell’s life — the kind of research and groundbreaking trials that City of Hope continues to champion.
The Power of Groundbreaking Research
Though her husband was not a City of Hope patient, Grimmett believes City of Hope was integral to his state-of-the-art treatment. He was treated at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.
In 2014, Darrell Grimmett underwent a bone marrow transplant — a procedure City of Hope experts first performed in 1976. Over time, City of Hope’s pioneering researchers advanced bone marrow transplantation into an effective therapy for many types of cancer, including multiple myeloma. Their work has been the foundation for countless clinical trials at City of Hope and other institutions. And for many patients, these have been life-extending efforts.
“My husband stayed alive after remission because of clinical trials. With cancer like multiple myeloma, clinical trials are significantly important,” she says. “The pace at which clinical trials are growing — and not just with multiple myeloma — has been phenomenal. It’s been exponential.”
City of Hope’s influence extends beyond clinical trials, though. Grimmett says she also sees the hospital’s impact in other areas of cancer research and treatment, particularly CAR T therapy. It’s clear, she says, that the institution has embraced its leadership role in improving treatment options and patient experience.
“City of Hope is at the forefront of everything. They’re at the forefront of patient care. They’re at the forefront of research. They’re at the forefront of really moving cancer care forward,” she says. “And the pace at which they’re doing it — the pace at which they can get their trials out there and see how patients are reacting — they’re at the forefront. There’s no other word for it.”
Since her husband’s death four years ago Grimmett has dedicated herself to helping raise money and awareness for cancer research. “The greatest legacy I can leave for him is to continue this fight for him” she says. In recognition of her efforts, City of Hope’s East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League of New York City honored Grimmett with a Spirit of Life® Award at a luncheon event June 8 at The Plaza. Actor and advocate Jane Fonda was also honored.
The Spirit of Life Award is City of Hope’s most prestigious honor, presented to esteemed industry leaders around the world who have made a significant commitment to improving the lives of others through the advancement of research, clinical innovation and the delivery of personalized, compassionate care.
Asked what drives her ongoing focus on helping to advance research, Grimmett says: “I got an extra three-and-a half years for my husband … if someone else can get another five years, another seven years … how great would that be? If I can inspire someone to help, I want to inspire as many people as I can.”