Jane Blanchard
Jane Blanchard & Bryony Clarkson
Fundraising for Oxford Hospitals Charity
Story
Dear friends, family and supporters…….
On October 13th we will be running the Oxford Half Marathon in support of the Future Fertility Trust. This is a Charity, dedicated to preserving the fertility of children and young adults diagnosed with Cancer, and other fertility threatening illness.
The Future Fertility Trust was set up in Oxford in 2013 by the University Hospital Trust in collaboration with Oxford University and is the only one of its kind in the UK. Totally funded by charitable donations, under the Oxford Hospitals Charity, the programme allows vital ovarian/ testicular tissue from children to be stored prior to medical treatment, protecting their fertility for the future. At present, it is desperately underfunded.
In the UK 10 children under the age of 25 are diagnosed with cancer every day. 85% of them will be cured . One long term, and most feared complication of the intensity of the treatment is infertility.
Currently children and young adults who have had cancer, or a bone marrow transplant for other illnesses, are 40% less likely to have a family compared to their siblings. However, preservation of tissue prior to treatment is a proven way of being able to give young patients a chance to have their own children in the future, despite invasive treatments.
We are proud to live in a city in which such amazing work is taking place. Saving fertility is a crucial aspect of offering young patients hope for a life in which they are able to put their cancer journey behind them and look forward to the same choices and opportunities that all their friends recieved, despite their diagnosis. Imagine what this might mean to a young person, as they go through the exhausting mental and physical process of their treatment. This boost of hope can make all the difference.
We urge you to read more about the work of the Future Fertility Trust at http://www.futurefertilitytrustuk.org
All donations will go towards funding the cryopreservation storage bank, based in Oxford, as well as vital research into this programme.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
