David Mitchell, a tireless patient advocate whose lived experience with multiple myeloma shaped a decade of courageous leadership on behalf of patients nationwide, died Jan. 2. He was 75.
David has been one of the most extraordinary patient advocates I have ever known. Living with multiple myeloma, David did not simply fight for his own life. He spent every day of the past decade fighting for the lives of others. He devoted his life to ensuring patient voices were central to policy, innovation, and access to care.
David understood, in the most personal way possible, what scientific innovation can mean for patients. He spoke powerfully and often about how breakthrough therapies gave him not just more time, but more life.
Rather than keeping that gratitude to himself, he turned it into action, using his voice to push for faster development of new treatments, broader more equitable access to care, and policies that put patients first.
As a longtime board member of Friends of Cancer Research, David brought urgency, clarity, and humanity to every conversation. He reminded us that endpoints, trials, and regulatory pathways are not abstract concepts. They are lifelines. His advocacy helped ensure that patient perspectives were not just included, but centered, in the work we do.
David advocated with courage, generosity, and purpose every day of his life. His legacy is felt in the progress he helped drive, the policies he helped shape, and the countless patients whose futures are brighter because he refused to stay silent.
We are profoundly grateful for his leadership, his friendship, and his unwavering commitment to patients everywhere.
The author is chair and founder, Friends of Cancer Research
