In this episode, recorded at the end of last year, I chatted with Liam Rooney, Patient and Families Manager and Car T Cell Therapy Clinical Nurse Specialist, Emily John, both from Anthony Nolan.

We discussed the important roles they play within Anthony Nolan and the important work AN does with and for families in providing support, not just for the patient, but also the families and friends who are supporting the patient going through cancer or a blood disorder.

We discussed Car T Cell therapy, what it is, why and when it is used and the difference between Car T cell therapy and chemotherapy in terms of treatment for cancer and blood disorders.

Finally, we discussed a project Anthony Nolan has been focusing on around bereavement and grief and the impact grief has on the families and friends left behind and how the charity hopes to be able to offer more services to families who have lost loved ones on the pathway to stem cell transplant or car T cell therapy.

I’m so grateful, as always to my guests for their time, lively and informative discussion and compassionate conversation around some difficult and complex topics.

If you are interested in reaching out to Anthony Nolan for any help, guidance or assistance, you can contact them on 0303 303 0303 or, particularly if you are interested in speaking to someone around the grief and bereavement project, please email involve@anthonynolan.org

You can find out more about the charity, getting involved and signing up to the stem cell register here at www.anthonynolan.org

In this episode I spoke with Charis Ober - Executive Director and Founder of the Save the Cord Foundation based in Tucson, Arizona.

We chatted about the history of the Foundation, the importance of cord blood and all the possibilities for saving a life, including through regenerative medicine and stem cell transplants.

We also heard about the brand new educational programme, Cord Blood in the Classroom, being launched on World Cord Blood Day on 15 November 2024. I hope you enjoy the listen.

It is always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with my guests on this podcast and I hope you find this an inspiring listen.

Useful links are below:

https://www.savethecordfoundation.org/

https://www.nextgenerationcordblood.org/

https://www.worldcordbloodday.org/

In this episode, I chatted with Yaser Martini, Founder of the Team Margot Foundation. Yaser’s daughter, Margot was just a few months old, when she was diagnosed with blood cancer and needed a stem cell transplant. Due to her mixed heritage, opportunities to find a donor match were slim, so Team Margot was set up and focused on blood, stem cell and organ donation for nine years, raising thousands of pounds and helping many families dealing with a similar diagnosis.

We chatted about Margot’s story and legacy, the impact on families through the process of finding a donor match and dealing with the reality of cancer. We also talked about the importance of stem cell, blood and organ donation and touched on the All Party Parliamentary Group he has been involved with for change. Finally, Yaser spoke candidly about the winding down of Team Margot and his devotion to campaigning and advocacy.

It is always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with my guests on this podcast and I hope you find this an inspiring listen. To find out more about the work Team Margot Foundation has achieved over nine years, please take a look at www.teammargot.com