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Tom and Deb Heau have been generous supporters of the Myeloma Center. Image by Andrew Vogler

Hot Springs Village Couple Grateful to Myeloma Center

July 5, 2024 | Tom and Deb Heau have come a long way together.

“I couldn’t have made it without Deb, she’s the guardian angel,” said Tom Heau, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018.

As a hobby, Heau makes trees with cancer ribbons and presents them to family and friends, including one to the Myeloma Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

“I made them out of wire and Arkansas crystals Deb and I dug up,” he said. “My sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I decided to make one of these with mostly pink ribbons. While I was buying the ribbons I just bought a bunch more of different colors with the intention of making more trees.”

“I love these trees,” Deb Heau said. “There’s little stories to all of them.”

The couple are faithful supporters of the Myeloma Center.

“Tom and Deb have been some of the most committed philanthropic supporters since 2018,” said Nathan Looney, senior director of development for Institutional Advancement. “They have made annual gifts and a significant estate commitment to the Myeloma Center.”

Deb Heau describes the day they found out about her husband’s illness.

“It was March 1, 2018. Tom came home and said ‘I have multiple myeloma’ and it was like he shut down — the light kind of went out of his eyes,” she said. “We went a hospital in Hot Springs, and the doctor said we would do some initial things, and then probably send him to UAMS.”

“I went online and did some research about UAMS,” she added. “I contacted someone, and they had an appointment for him the next Monday.”

Sharmilan Thanendrarajan, M.D., Ph.D., manages Heau’s treatment.

“Tom was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after he was found to have increased serum protein level and mild anemia during his annual physical exam,” said Thanendrarajan. “Fortunately, he didn’t have bone lesions or impaired kidney function, which we frequently see in multiple myeloma patients. We felt he had a favorable prognosis.”

“From start to finish, Dr. Thanendrarajan had it read spot on. Through medical brilliance, it came out very well for me,” said Heau, who admits he was depressed when he initially heard the news.

“He started to perk up once we started meeting with doctors,” said Deb Heau. “Once the infusions began, he settled into it and he was a lot better.”

Dark periods, however, were part of the experience.

“There were times from March to December (2018) where I would go home, lie in bed with my eyes closed, and be happy that I wouldn’t have to do anything,” he said.

Thanendrarajan noted that Heau went through UAMS’ Total Therapy regimen, which includes intense chemotherapy, stem collection and stem cell transplants.

“The first two stem cell transplants were really bad,” said Deb Heau. “They hit you with this hard chemotherapy drug, and seven to 10 days later he hit bottom. He got to where he would just lay around — it felt like he was dying for a few days.

“However, he would always come into the hospital on his own two feet.”

Tom Heau’s career was in the insurance industry, and he relied on that training to process his disease and treatment.

“I’m a numbers guy,” he said. “The ability to keep track of the improvement in my numbers was helpful.”

“I had four intense procedures. After the fourth one I had a bone marrow biopsy, and my reading was a very small number. Dr. Thanendrarajan thought we had failed,” Heau said. “I went into a couple of gentler infusions with another drug. Around December of 2018 we did another biopsy and I was at reading of zero. That’s what we had been trying for.”

Heau has been in stringent defined complete remission for more than two years and comes to UAMS every six months for a checkup, said Thanendrarajan.

The couple has a real sense of what their contributions mean to UAMS and myeloma research.

“I’m really big into profit and loss statements. I understand and appreciate the importance of cash flow so this organization can do two things — care for people and community outreach where we can get to everyone in Arkansas,” he said.

“The part that impresses me is the research that needs to be done on multiple myeloma,” he continued. “This is a nasty, ugly disease but the advancements that have been made in the last 10 or 15 years are unbelievable.”

The Heaus are very involved in the Hot Springs Village community. Tom Heau serves as the vice chair of the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association.

Wedding vows are what brought the pair together.

“I’m a native of Hawaii,” Tom Heau said. “My best friend from childhood — we went to grade school, high school, college, and we both started at Prudential Insurance in New Jersey together — married Deb’s twin sister, and we met at the wedding.”

UAMS has made a huge impression on the Heaus.

“From the Welcome Desk to Dr. Thanendrarajan to the nursing staff to the lab people, they treated me like I was the most important person in the universe,” said Tom Heau. “I always felt like I was getting the best treatment anyone could ask for.”

“I don’t know what the future brings,” he added. “Where I am today is as good as anyone’s outcome could possibly be. I wish everyone’s outcome can be my outcome.”