Finding out I had cancer was one of the most difficult and distressing times imaginable. I never thought it would happen to me, I don’t think anyone does. The uncertainty you face is crippling and your whole life, and that of your loved ones, seems......
As part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month Kathryn McRae, Sister of Ward 33 of the Northern Centre for Cancer Care at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle (pictured second from left above) has shared ‘a day in the life’ blog with us, below. I usually arrive......
Jill Bell is one of our Bright Red Nurses, working at the Sunderland Royal Hospital. As part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month Jiill has shared ‘a day in the life of’ blog with us, below. Overall my role as a Haematology Specialist Nurse is to......
Hi I was asked to write “ a day in the life” It is a difficult task as there are no two days the same and the work can be very unpredictable. I work in a range of settings wherever my patients are. This Includes......
“People would always ask: ‘what is it like to have a stem cell transplant?’ I would say the first one is like climbing Roseberry Topping in Middlesbrough – a hill that’s challenging if you go up the hard route. The second transplant would be like......
A year-long fundraiser by staff from North East property and energy firm, The Banks Group has raised an amazing £14,500 for Bright Red. Bright Red was nominated by David Wilson, a member of Banks Group ICT team, who has experienced first-hand the support that we......
“It was October 2019 and I was recovering from a hysterectomy – but my pug Charlie always had to steal my thunder. When I was in bed recuperating, so was he. He was sick and then diagnosed with H.E. This is an immune-mediated hemolytic anaemia,......
Chairman Mark Thompson first became close to Bright Red many years ago when his wife suffered from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Since his initial involvement, he has shaped Bright Red – from its infancy as a small regional charity, to what it is today. Mark Thompson says:......
At the end of last year Bright Red funded Clinical Fellow Tom Creasey attended the 61st ASH Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. This is organised by the American Society of Haematology and is the largest Haematology conference in the world with over 25,000 attendees and......
We are delighted to share with you that our second Bright Red Nurse has now taken up post in Sunderland Royal Hospital, thanks to our investment of nearly £80,000. With another Clinical Nurse Specialist in Sunderland’s service they are able to offer a far superior......
Coronavirus isn’t going away any time soon – but neither is blood cancer. Not surprisingly, with the disruption of the coronavirus, patients were asked to stay at home to shield and postpone their routine medical care. But this has created difficulties with accessing cancer treatment,......
It was 14th December 2018, the day that life as I knew it would change forever. The words I never thought I would ever hear “You have cancer…incurable cancer”. I was diagnosed with myeloma, a cancer I had not even heard of before. It’s still......
In 2013 I was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukaemia) and admitted to the Freeman cancer care ward where I received chemotherapy. During which time I became aware of the Bright Red charity who helped me with a Lee Robson Patient Care Grant to buy......
Bright Red are proud supporters of the complementary therapists at Sunderland Royal Hospital. We provided £3,500 of funding which helped provide 1,475 therapies, given to 992 patients. Therapies included : Auricular acupuncture, massage, Indian head massage, reflexology, reiki, and mindful touch. These therapies can make......
PART TWO: You may remember last week’s spotlight about Dave Whittaker and his cancer journey. We wanted to celebrate his amazing support for Bright Red and thank him for his charitable achievements. In 2013, Dave was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and went into remission......
A little over a year ago plans were put forward to renovate the day room on Ward 33. With it resembling a dark forgotten corridor it wasn’t the most pleasant place for patients and visitors to sit. We wanted to have a quiet and peaceful......
Identification of novel early epigenetic changes in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia Timothy Barrow The human genome is the recipe book for making every protein that cells need to function. There are more than 20,000 genes encoding for proteins, and yet only 30% of our total DNA......
Will Welch, 28, began his career at Newcastle Falcons academy before turning professional in 2009. He became the Falcons youngest ever club captain in 2012 when, at the age of 22, he took on the leadership role. Skippering the side to the Championship title in......
We are delighted to share with you that Bright Red Nurse Heather Lee is now in post at the Frirage Hospital in Northallerton, thanks to our investment of over £40,000. We are now funding four nursing posts across the region, with Bright Red Nurses already......
There are plenty of runs and walks to support charities, but how about jumping from an aeroplane? This weekend mountaineer Thomas Minto will take part in a 15,000 ft tandem skydive jump in support of Bright Red. Thomas viewed the world from above back in......
Nothing is like your relationship with your brother: you will tease each other endlessly, but in a heartbeat you’d donate your stem cells or, even, run a marathon for them. My brother, Jonny was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on the 25th of October......
And what would it look like if you had seen one? My brother Jonny asked all of his friend’s children if they could imagine what a wolf pig would look like. All of the kids drew interpretations of what it may look like. But none......
The coronavirus outbreak has caused disruption to almost all facets of our everyday life. Routines are often vital to how we as human’s function. At the moment our usual routines are broken. Daily activities for the majority, drop the kids off at school, pop to......
Rob Jones has swapped running for rowing to raise hundreds of pounds for Bright Red. The Royal Grammar School student, Rob Jones, set himself the challenge of rowing 33km ( 20.5 miles) in support of Bright Red. “Bright Red is an important charity to me......
Photo Caption: Bradley Hall Directors Peter Bartley, Neil Hart and Richard Rafique Bradley Hall Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents held its fourth annual fundraiser in aid of North East causes including Bright Red Charity, Marie Curie Newcastle Hospice and Heel & Toe at the event.......
Gail Jones, Michelle Lannon and Matthew Collin from Northern Centre for Cancer Care at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle attended the first NCRI AML Academy in Birmingham Sept 19-20. Organised by the AML Global portal and the National Cancer Research Institute, the conference heard presentations......
We are delighted to share that we have been shortlisted for three Sainsbury’s stores as part of their Local Charity of the Year scheme. We will be up against two other charities in each of the stores and it will all be down to a......
It’s estimated that 1 in 2 of us will get cancer. But it’s not something that you necessarily think about – not until it affects you personally. Unfortunately, Mark Thompson observed his wife’s battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1988. Now that she’s in remission, her......
Our Ride 4 Red event is back again for its 7th successful year! The route will take you from Seahouses to Newcastle Quayside taking in some stunning scenery, over approximately 55 miles. We have the option of providing transport for your and your bike from......