Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to everyone who kindly donated to my 18 hour Pilates marathon on behalf of the amazing charity Leukaemia UK. It was a LONG day; starting in the dark and ending in the dark but worth every moment. Thank you to all of you who joined me online for a class or three and really helped to keep me going with your smiling faces greeting me at the start of each session! Thank you also to my friends and family who live locally and joined me for some of the classes in my studio. And lastly, a great big cheer for my husband Stephen who kept everyone fed and watered and joined a few classes himself during the day. You were all truly amazing and really helped me to keep my mojo throughout the day!

Your sponsorship will not only help raise awareness about the symptoms of leukaemia but also support the continued research into improved treatments.The early diagnosis of Leukaemia remains elusive because the symptoms are often overlooked and the disease only diagnosed when a person ends up at the A&E struggling for life.

My husband Stephen was rushed to A&E in July 2022 with a combination of classic leukaemia symptoms: shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, skin rash, mouth ulcers and frequent nose bleeds. “we were completely traumatised when a doctor diagnosed the aggressive blood cancer Acute Myloid Leukaemia.” A Blood Test is the only way to diagnose Leukaemia

In the weeks leading up to the diagnosis, Stephen had sought medical help about individual symptoms but these had not been linked or resulted in a blood test. I am committed to joining the campaign to raise awareness amongst GPs about blood cancer symptoms as the earlier the disease is spotted the better the chance of effective treatment, prognosis and quality of life. 

To read more about the symptoms of Leukaemia see: https://www.leukaemiauk.org.uk/about-leukaemia/signs-symptoms/