Regina L. Covert Evans: Walking in Faith Through Multiple Myeloma

I’m Regina L. Covert Evans. I’m 70 years old, born and raised in Philadelphia, and proud to call myself a Temple girl. My family’s history with Temple University Hospital runs deep. My mother worked there, my sister was a nurse there, and I worked there myself years ago. I never imagined that one day, Temple and Fox Chase Cancer Center would save my life. 

My cancer journey began in 2014, though at the time, no one knew it was cancer. What first brought me to the doctor wasn’t pain, it was my balance. I started walking sideways, like a crab. I thought maybe it was vertigo. My doctor knew something wasn’t right and sent me for imaging right away. 

That test changed everything. 

A Life-Changing Diagnosis 

After my scan, I was urgently referred to Temple’s main campus. By the time I arrived, a full team of specialists — neurology, oncology, and orthopedics — were waiting for me. When you see all those long white coats in one room, you know something serious is going on. 

They told me I had a mass wrapped around my spine, stretching from my neck down through my thoracic spine. Even more shocking, most of my thoracic spine had essentially collapsed. The doctors couldn’t believe I was still walking, power walking, shopping, and living my life like nothing was wrong. 

I remember looking at the scans and telling them exactly what I saw: The hand of God holding me together. 

They suspected cancer, but what they knew for certain was this: I needed emergency spine surgery immediately. There was no time to wait. 

A 16-Hour Surgery and a Miracle 

Just days later, on June 23, 2014, on my birthday, Dr. Bong-Soo Kim, my neurosurgeon at Temple, performed a 16-hour surgery to stabilize my spine and remove the mass. The surgery was extensive, complex, and risky. 

I came through it with flying colors. 

When I woke up, I was alert, talking, and much to the shock of my care team, ready to move. By the next morning, I was power walking the hospital hallways with IV poles in both hands. The doctors and nurses were stunned. I wasn’t in pain. I wasn’t afraid. I knew I was in good hands. 

That surgery saved my mobility and my life. 

The Cancer Reveals Itself 

Further testing revealed the full picture: multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that had already spread from my spine to my femur. I later required surgery to place a rod in my left leg to prevent a fracture. 

Over time, my treatment journey expanded to include a stem cell transplant, advanced medications, and eventually clinical trials. I underwent a stem cell transplant through Fox Chase under the care of Dr. Henry Fung, Chair of the Blood Cancer and Cellular Therapy Institute, whose expertise and calm confidence made a complex process feel manageable. 

When my cancer returned aggressively, my team didn’t give up. They adjusted treatments and explored new combinations. 

A Clinical Trial That Changed Everything 

Under the care of Dr. Fung’s colleague, Dr. Asya Nina Varshavsky-Yanovksy, I began a new investigational treatment as part of a clinical trial for elranatamab, a new type of immunotherapy for multiple myeloma.  

I remember how closely her team monitored me with bloodwork, EKGs, labs, and check-ins. Nothing was overlooked. I felt safe. I felt seen.  

The results were nothing short of remarkable. My lab values normalized. My scans cleared. My doctors started smiling when they walked into the room. Dr. Varshavsky-Yanovksy told me my numbers looked excellent. There were no signs of active myeloma, my organs were functioning beautifully, and everything was holding steady. 

The clinical trial treatment worked. My numbers improved. My scans cleared. My strength returned.  

Today, I’m in complete remission. 

Living With Strength and Purpose 

I’ve faced spine surgery, bone cancer, relapses, transplants, and trials. And through it all, I’ve never stopped moving forward, physically or spiritually. 

If I could give advice to anyone facing a cancer diagnosis, it would be this: Keep the faith. Keep hope alive. Trust your medical team. And know there is a God in heaven who has not forgotten you. 

Fox Chase didn’t just treat my cancer. They believed in my future. And because of them, I’m still here, still walking, still praising, still living. 

And I’m not done yet. 

Learn more about treatment for multiple myeloma at Fox Chase Cancer Center.