Losing my Dad was the worst thing that's ever happened to me and I want to do everything I can to make sure that no one has to go through what I did again.
When I was 7 years old I lost my dad to Leukaemia; a type of Blood Cancer. With Blood Cancers being the 5th most common Cancer in the UK and an average 38,000 new cases being diagnosed annually I thought there would be a huge amount of easily accessible advice and support out there for young people like myself and my family. Sadly, this was not the case. For someone who has just had their life turned upside down, searching for support became an arduous and upsetting journey - something I'm on a mission to eliminate.
So what is Bloodwise?
Bloodwise is the UK's specialist Blood Cancer charity, with a firm belief that "life is a gift to be used wisely and lived fiercely". Bloodwise has a simple vision - to beat all Blood Cancers, full stop. Together, we're on a mission to:
- Stop people dying from Blood Cancer
- Make the lives of those living with Blood Cancer better
- Research ways to prevent Blood Cancer
These are huge missions but we believe in a world free from Blood Cancers and we won't stop until that dream becomes a reality!
Bloodwise provides:
Vital support to everyone being affected by Blood Cancers, either directly or indirectly. From one of the largest collections of information and support on the internet, a dedicated, friendly and informative free support line (0808 2080 888) to an online community.
Funding for groundbreaking research into beating Blood Cancers, since 1960 £500 million has been invested into beating Blood Cancers.
A collective voice for the Blood Cancer community through the Bloodwise policy ambassador and champions projects.
Fundraising, with no Government funding everything is made possible the donations received and collected by volunteers across the country.
So why am I an ambassador for Bloodwise?
For me one of the hardest things about losing someone to Blood Cancer is how isolated you can feel, it's almost as though you're the only one in the world going through it. Sadly I never knew about the fantastic work of Bloodwise (then Leukaemia and Lymphoma research) at the time of losing my dad and I want to make sure nobody that has lost someone to, or is going through Blood Cancer feels alone. We are a community and can all support each other in so many ways, from a quick chat, to attending events to raise money to beat Blood Cancer sooner. I'll be championing the services of Bloodwise at events and shouting about the great work we do on social media and beyond until everyone going through Blood Cancer, be it directly or indirectly knows they are not alone and gets the support they need.
Together, we will beat Blood Cancer.
I am Bloodwise. Are you?