Patient Stories


Bingaman family

Faith in Arkansas: Chris Bingaman’s Battle with Multiple Myeloma

For Chris Bingaman, every day is a special gift. In 1992, the Pennsylvania native was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a prognosis that was initially believed to be terminal for him, maybe only having a few years to live. His story is primarily one of his heroic fight against the disease, which required immense strength and…

Jennifer Freeman (right) with her family.

Patient Takes Steps to Prevent Breast Cancer

When she was in her 20s, Jennifer Freeman lost her beloved grandmother suddenly and vowed then to double down on her own health care. Unaware of any genetic risk factors, she asked about a mammogram and was told to wait until she was 40.

Mahlon Maris, M.D., completes proton therapy

A Voice Recovered: Physician Fights Larynx Cancer with Proton Therapy

When longtime Harrison, Arkansas, family physician Mahlon Maris, M.D., began experiencing hoarseness in late 2023, he chalked it up to a bad bout of COVID-19 and the lingering inflammation that can sometimes follow. But months passed, and his voice still hadn’t returned. It was the first sign that something more serious was going on. “I…

Father’s Cancer Battle Inspires Son’s Research

Father’s Cancer Battle Inspires Son’s Research

When Don Tackett learned that he had prostate cancer, his first call was to his son, Alan. “It was difficult to hear,” said Alan Tackett, Ph.D., a leading UAMS cancer researcher whose life’s work collided with his father’s health that day. “I’m used to researching cancer, but not my father being a cancer patient,” said…

Amiee Lovell of Mississippi after a recent follow-up visit at UAMS after she received a new kidney in a seven-way paired donor exchange.

Mississippi Woman, Her Cousin Tout Importance of Living Kidney Donations

Amiee Lovell, 53, is nearing the one-year anniversary of receiving a living donor kidney at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). When she underwent the transplant on June 11, 2024, she was the third of four siblings to undergo a kidney transplant — all from living donors. Her younger brother received a transplant…

Jeff and Leigh Ann Williams.

24-Year Myeloma Survivor Cites Positive Attitude as Key to Longevity

Jeff Williams maintains a basic approach to living with multiple myeloma. “Get as much exercise as possible,” he said. “I work about a mile from a YMCA. I stay in shape. It has to be a habit. If you go long enough, it will become a habit. Resistance training builds bone density.” Williams, 66, is…

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