Estate Planning Attorney with Multiple Myeloma Explains Why He Gives

Gary Altman

Gary Altman is an estate planning expert in addition to being a multiple myeloma patient. So when it came time to make an estate gift to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the attorney with law degrees from Georgetown University and NYU had good reasons to make sure his gift would make a difference.

“My future gift is part of my IRA/401(k) plan because charities do not pay tax on it but a descendant does,” Gary explains. “I am a big believer in giving to charity to cure diseases: my ability to live a long time is contingent on the research and efforts of doctors and scientists that are made possible through the MMRF’s model to inject speed into the research process.”

Gary was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in early 2013 after experiencing severe back pain. His current program is working great, and the highly rated attorney continues to run his law practice in the D.C. area. Gary and his wife Elizabeth live in Potomac, Maryland, where he enjoys racquet sports, poker, traveling, and making gourmet pizza in his pizza oven.

Gary says he would like to see the MMRF “go out of business in the future” because it is no longer needed. He urged others to give in the meantime. “For anyone who has multiple myeloma or knows someone with this cancer, treatment options are critical,” he says. “Supporting the MMRF means extending or potentially saving a life.”