Background

About Us

MMI Vision

MMI recognise everyone’s experience of myeloma is unique – our vision is to be the trusted partner supporting you on your journey

MMI Mission
To inspire hope, promote awareness and contribute to health and well-being by providing support to every patient, carer and healthcare professional dealing with myeloma through education, advocacy and research.

MMI Values 

Our core values guide our day to day behaviours, our decisions, our actions and our relationships with patients, family members, carers and healthcare professionals. These core values preserve what is special about MMI and provide us with a compass to navigate both strategic evolution and our day to day actions.

Patient Centred – respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values

Ethical & Transparent – open and transparent in all our dealings

Welcoming & Inclusive – all are welcomed to be part of a community built on empathy

Collaborative – working with our partners with a common goal of advancing myeloma care

Multiple Myeloma Ireland is the only charity organisation focused on Multiple Myeloma in Ireland.

 

MMI received charity status in July 2013. Our charity no is (RCN) 20082598.

Board & Medical Advisors to the Board

Meet The Team

Liam McManus

Liam McManus

Treasurer

Liam McManus has been a member of the Board since its establishment. Liam is self-employed in the construction industry and has been living well with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma for many years.

Anne Fitzgerald

Anne Fitzgerald

Assistant Treasurer

Anne joined the first Multiple Myeloma Support Group in 2008 after her husband was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2007. On establishment of the first Multiple Myeloma Ireland Board, Anne joined as assistant treasurer, and has continued in this role since.

Anne previously worked in the Department of Justice for a number of years and currently works in the office of a  building contractor.

Geraldine Walpole

Geraldine Walpole

Chairperson

Ger Walpole is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) in haematology at Sligo University Hospital. Ger is actively involved in haematology patient and nurse education and regularly presents at local, national, regional and European forums. She also set up and facilitates a regional support group for patients with myeloma.

Ger has a personal family experience with myeloma which has influenced her interest in assisting myeloma patients on their journey.

Mary Kelly

Mary Kelly

Vice Chair

Mary Kelly is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Haematology.

Mary set up Ireland’s first Multiple Myeloma support group in 2008 and has organised many awareness and educational campaigns to raise awareness and support for patients and their families living with multiple myeloma.  She also established the Multiple Myeloma Ireland Board and was instrumental in gaining charity status for Multiple Myeloma Ireland in 2013. Mary is a past Chair of the Board.

Niamh Murray

Niamh Murray

Board Member

Niamh joined the Board in 2021. Niamh is interested in patient advocacy and increasing access to new drugs and testing protocols for myeloma patients. She brings experience from her previous career as a research scientist.

Ann Fleming

Ann Fleming

Board Member

Ann is a retired primary teacher who joined the Board in September 2019. She has been living well with Multiple Myeloma since her diagnosis in 2016. In 2017 she organised a fund-raising event amongst friends and family to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Myeloma Ireland. Ann has been instrumental in re-establishing a multiple myeloma support group in the Dublin area. She has also been involved in the Multiple Myeloma Podcast Series.

Dermot O’Leary

Dermot O’Leary

Board Member

Dermot has been a member of the Board since 2019. He is a dairy farmer with a background in the dairy CoOp industry. He has been living well with Myeloma since his diagnosis in 2016. Dermot was central to the recent establishment of a support group in the Cork/Kerry region in association with Arc House.

Fionnuala Duffy

Fionnuala Duffy

Board Member

Fionnuala joined the Board in September 2021 and brings extensive experience from her career at senior level in the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. Fionnuala is interested in patient advocacy and completed the Myeloma Patients Europe Advocacy Development Programme in 2022.

Kevin O'Regan

Kevin O'Regan

Board Member

Kevin has a background in Event and Hospitality management. His father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2020. He is a keen cyclist and has participated in the 2022 Wild Myeloma Way Cycle as well as cycling from Malin Head to Mizen Head in 2020 to raise funds for Multiple Myeloma Ireland. He is always encouraging anyone he meets to sign up for the Wild Myeloma Way Cycle,

Fidelma Hackett

Fidelma Hackett

Board Member

Fidelma joined the Board in 2021

Michelle Connell

Michelle Connell

Board Member

Michelle has worked in haematology and with multiple myeloma patients at all stages of their journey for over 18 years in Edinburgh, Scotland and Dublin. Her special areas of interest are stem cell transplantation and patient advocacy. Michelle has worked as a stem cell transplant coordinator, a clinical nurse specialist and is currently working as a clinical nurse manager in haematology clinical trials at St James Hospital.

Pat Gately

Pat Gately

Board Member

Pat joined the board in November 2022. He has been living well with Multiple Myeloma since 2016.Pat is a retired primary school principal living in Wexford. He imitated the setting up the Wexford Support Group with Frank Lilis in 2016. The group meets monthly in the Hope Centre in Enniscorthy.

Prof Paul Browne

Prof Paul Browne

Medical Advisor to the Board

Prof. Siobhán Glavey

Prof. Siobhán Glavey

Medical Advisor to the Board

Professor John Quinn

Professor John Quinn

Medical Advisor to the Board

Prof. Michael O’Dwyer

Prof. Michael O’Dwyer

Medical Advisor to the Board

Past MMI Board Members

Previous Members

Board MemberMaura DowlingBoard Member Siobhán Kelleher
Board Member Dr Peter O’GormanBoard MemberHelen Brennan
Board MemberDr Patrick HaydenBoard Member Mervyn Bourne
Board MemberTrudie RowanBoard MemberMary Dunne
Board MemberJoe O’BrienBoard MemberDeirdre Brennan
Board Member Colm BrennanBoard MemberDr Rajpal
SecretaryGeraldine DalyBoard MemberDermot Sheriff

Links To Organisations