A MALVERN woman who battled leukaemia will be the voice of a charity appeal to raise awareness of the disease and funds for a Worcester-based charity.
Kate Stallard was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) three years ago and last year she shared her incredible story through worldwide press coverage.
Kate, who had a stem cell transplant as part of her treatment and has been in remission for the last two years, became a trustee at Leukaemia Care and was approached by the charity about becoming the voice of its appeal.
The piece was recorded at the BBC’s studios in London in late July and it will be aired on Radio 4 three times in the coming week, starting this Sunday, September 15.
Each year, 60 appeals are broadcast by the BBC and last year these raised over £1million.
It has been over 20 years since the Leukaemia Care last had a radio appeal and, with September being blood cancer awareness month, this one could not be timelier.
The charity has brought back its #SpotLeukaemia campaign for a third year in a row and is urging members of the public as well as healthcare professionals to become aware of the vague symptoms of the cancer.
Kate said: “I am so proud to be fronting this Radio 4 appeal to raise awareness of leukaemia and blood cancer.
“It’ll also help fund training for GPs and raise vital funds for Leukaemia Care.”
Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, Leukaemia Care’s patient advocacy director, said: “We’re overwhelmed by the support that Kate has shown for Leukaemia Care by sharing her own story.
“The timing of our radio appeal couldn’t be any better and we’re very excited to hear it live on the radio as part of our Spot Leukaemia campaign.”
Leukaemia can be hard to spot because symptoms are common to other unrelated illnesses.
The six most common indicators are fatigue, bruising or bleeding, bone/joint paint, fever or night sweats, sleeping problems and shortness of breath.
Early diagnosis saves lives and improves outcomes so Leukaemia Care urges people to visit their GP if they have any concerns after they have taken the leukaemia awareness course.
Visit www.spotleukaemia.org.uk for more information on the #SpotLeukaemia campaign and for the air-times for Kate’s appeal.
