Twenty-year-old “Izzy” Wallace of Washington, Michigan, has been supporting Karmanos Cancer Institute since 2017 when she first started a fundraiser called Music for Myeloma. The fundraiser honored a close family friend who was diagnosed with the disease several years before. The project involved a charity concert by local artists and Izzy wrote a song called, Grace’s Song, in honor of her family friend’s daughter. Every time the song is played on Spotify or Apple Music, a donation is made to Karmanos.
In 2019, Izzy was crowned the Romeo Peach Queen. Along with her runner up, Brittany Ladson, Izzy decided to continue Music for Myeloma and made this their yearlong philanthropic platform. In July 2019, the second Music for Myeloma Concert was held at Younger’s Tavern in Romeo, Michigan. With a combination of admission fees, vendors, and sponsorships, the event raised more than $5,000.
But it doesn’t stop there. During the month of December, the duo coordinated the creation of 50 fleece blankets and holiday cards to distribute to patients with the help of osteopathic medical students and Broad College of Business Senate members. Izzy also graced patients and their caregivers with her beautiful voice while she sang holiday hits at Karmanos in Detroit.
They are both Spartans. Brittany is a third-year medical student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, while Izzy is a third-year business student in the Broad Business College. We cannot thank them enough for thinking of the Karmanos Cancer Institute and our patients who bravely fight multiple myeloma.