September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month and national charity, Blood Cancer UK has launched a campaign, “We know what it takes”, aimed at raising awareness of what blood cancer takes from families affected, like Mia’s, and what it takes to get through it. Mia features in the charity’s latest campaign video, voiced by the actor Timothy Spall.
Mia was just seven months old when she was diagnosed with a childhood blood cancer – acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. With September 4th marking World Leukaemia Day, Anjna, Mia’s mum is speaking out about her experience. She said: “As a parent, it was horrific, something no one can prepare you for. When Mia was diagnosed, the doctors told us there was only a 50/50 chance she would reach her fifth birthday. We were rushed into an isolation room almost immediately. I was bombarded with medical questions while my mind was spinning. She was so tiny, just a baby, and her platelet count was zero. All I wanted to do was scream.”
Leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to hear for Anjna. Mia’s blood cancer treatment lasted three long years. She had endless blood tests and rounds of chemotherapy.
Anjna, who’s based in Wolverhampton said: “We had to keep her isolated from the outside world. Every time she developed a temperature, no matter what time of day or night we rushed straight back to the hospital. Those years were a blur of hospital corridors, beeping machines, and constant worry.
Now Mia is in remission, and Anjna is backing Blood Cancer UK’s call for greater awareness, aiming to elevate the conversation around blood cancer:
“Blood Cancer UK funds research, raises awareness, and provides comfort to families like mine. With more research, I truly believe blood cancer can be beaten. What an incredible achievement that would be in our lifetime. To know that no other parent has to sit in a hospital room and hear those shattering words. I believe it’s worth fighting for with everything I have. I’ll give all it takes.”
She’s not alone in that belief. BAFTA-winning actor Timothy Spall known for Mr. Turner, Secrets & Lies, and the Harry Potter films was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer, in 1996. Now in remission, he’s also lending his voice to Blood Cancer UK’s “We Know What It Takes” campaign, with a video featuring footage from people affected by blood cancer including Mia.
Timothy Spall said: “I’ve been through it, so I know what blood cancer can do to you. It doesn’t just hit your health. It takes away your energy, your peace of mind, it gets into every part of your life, it can even affect your sense of who you actually are. That’s why I’m happy to be part of this campaign: to help people understand what it really does, to stand with the people and the families of those who are still going through it.”
Helen De Soyza, Deputy Director of Communications at Blood Cancer UK, said: “Mia and Anjna’s story is heart wrenching and sadly isn’t an isolated case. Blood cancer is the UK’s fifth most common cancer and sadly the UK’s third biggest cancer killer. Our campaign, ‘We know what it takes’, shines a light on the real experiences of people affected by blood cancer to raise awareness and show what it takes from people. Because of people like Mia and Anjna we’ll give all it takes to beat blood cancer.”
You can watch the video here – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bfdZrQk5Y_U.
For more information about the campaign, and how you can get involved, visit https://bloodcancer.org.uk/takes.
