Mum was always very much in support of research into Leukaemia since I was diagnosed with ALL in 1979. She worked very hard to raise funds by making dolls and toys to sell and raffle at fund raising events and support the sale of charitable merchandise. Mum and Dad also supported parents of newly diagnosed children and bereaved families. Mum would love donations to fund this wonderful work in her memory instead of floral contributions at the funeral other than from Dad, Mark and myself. Thank you in advance Xxx

Our laboratory, based at Brunel University London led by Dr Sabrina Tosi, specialises in the study of a particular subtype of childhood leukaemia called t(7;12). This aggressive form of cancer hits children as young as 2 years old, and it is known for its poor recovery rates. Every year in the UK about 100 children are diagnosed and there’s no single ‘go to’ treatment – doctors try different combinations of chemotherapy and bone marrow (stem cell) transplantation. Nearly no young children survive longer than three years.

Because the disease mainly affects babies, it is difficult to collect enough cancerous cells from the patients to study, so researchers know little about how the disease works. Recreating this leukaemia "in a test tube" means that we now have unlimited opportunities to solve unanswered questions and find new ways to combat the disease. Help us work on this leukaemia treatment breakthrough for babies and move closer to a cure!