Getting to know Bloodwise

This year we have partnered with Bloodwise for The Botanic Secret Garden Ball, 11th May. The evening will include fantastic entertainment from live band Spectrum, as well as an auction where you could win fabulous prizes. There will also be a chance for you to purchase a secret garden key that unlocks even more incredible goodies, with the aim of raising money for both the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Bloodwise.

In preparation for this fantastic event, we wanted to tell you more about Bloodwise; the UK’s specialist blood cancer charity dedicated to improving the lives of patients.

Who are Bloodwise UK

Around 38,000 people of all ages, from children to adults, are diagnosed with blood cancers and related disorders every year in the UK. Birmingham is right at the centre of Bloodwise work and money from this event will go toward lifesaving research taking place in the city, helping to change the lives of people living with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other types of blood cancer.

Their mission is to stop people dying from blood cancer full stop, making patients’ lives better, and looking for ways to stop blood cancer happening in the first place.

Did you know…

• By donating to Bloodwise, you’re helping to fund over 1,000 leading researchers working on over 200 projects across the UK
• Blood cancer claims more lives than breast and prostate cancer each year
• Blood cancer is the 5th most common cancer
• Back in 1960, less than 1 in 10 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia survived. Today nearly 8 in 10 do.

As you can see from the above statistics, by donating to Bloodwise you’re helping to increase the chance of survival for many patients across the world. People with blood cancer should be able to live their lives to the full: free from the fear of relapse; free from side effects and free to do the things they love. Bloodwise work tirelessly to try and achieve this; improving quality of life until blood cancer no longer has an impact.

Patient Care

As well as research, Bloodwise also work with patients to improve their care. They use an evidenced based approach to find out what care and support patients need, how those services are currently being provided, and what solutions are required to improve them. They believe in not just identifying problems with patient care, but working to engage and influence decision makers to make a real change happen.

Myles Broadhurst, now ten-years-old, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in April 2014, then just six years old, and underwent treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Myles’ mum, Ann-Marie, says: “He lost his hair and the ability to bear any weight on his legs. Seeing your child go through so many traumas at such a young age is harrowing. Thankfully, his cancer finally went into remission and the intense phase of treatment was complete. Myles’ journey was far from over, though, as he then faced three years of maintenance treatment, completing this in October 2017.”

Emma Jane Jones, Regional Manager for Bloodwise said, “Although great progress has been made in survival rates for childhood leukaemia compared to 20 years ago, treatment is incredibly harsh and there are still many long-term side effects. Funding research is the only way to find more effective treatments, and a lot of this ground-breaking work is taking place right here in Birmingham, which is really exciting.”

We are delighted to be working in partnership with this prestigious organisation, in a city that holds great significance to our work in blood cancer research. The disease kills more people annually than breast or prostate cancer, so events like the Secret Garden Ball not only offer a fun evening of entertainment for guests, but are vital in ensuring we can continue to invest in this life-saving research, and provide patient support services for the 39,000 people diagnosed every year.”