Cancer victim Louise Macleod’s life was saved after her brother donated stem cells for a bone marrow transplant.
And now the managing director from Huddersfield is celebrating survival by backing the country’s biggest ever blood cancer awareness campaign.
Louise, 37, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2012 after 11 months of ill health.
She said: “I never really regained my energy after the birth of my second child in June 2010 and was plagued by infections. In March 2011 I found a lump in my neck and shot to the doctors convinced it was cancer but I was told that I had laryngitis.”
Over the next few months more lumps appeared and her health deteriorated but GPs put it down to having a young baby and possible postnatal depression. After requesting a private referral with a consultant, Louise was eventually diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
“My treatment did not go smoothly. I had four different chemotherapy regimes over the next 10 months, some as part of clinical trials.”
She was advised that a bone marrow transplant would be her best chance, and her brother Richard Burhouse, managing director at the Huddersfield brewery Magic Rock, turned out to be a match.
He donated stem cells for the transplant, which she had in September 2013 during a month long stay in isolation in St James’ Hospital, Leeds. It was a success but her recovery took a long time, and at one point she weighed just five and a half stone.
Eight months later was able to return to work as managing director of Burhouse Beads, a family business based in Tanyard Road, Oakes, which supplies jewellery designers and beads shops.
She is now backing a huge billboard campaign by Bloodwise, the new name of the UK blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, in response to a crisis in awareness of the group of diseases, which includes leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
She said: “I kept busy during my treatment developing a range of children’s jewellery, making kits called Pipkits. We decided to donate a percentage of website sales of one the ranges to Bloodwise. Our fundraising through various events since my illness is reaching £10,000.”
Diana Jupp, director of patient experience at Bloodwise, said: “Patients have told us that a lack of awareness has a significant impact throughout their patient journey – from confusion and uncertainty at diagnosis to being unaware of the organisations that provide the support and care they need. This campaign is the first step to addressing the problem.”
