Sandra Breene will take on the London Marathon on Sunday (April 26) along with her husband Alan, and collectively, the pair hope to lift £25,000 for Leukaemia UK.
The 57-year-old’s world modified when a routine well being examine in May 2022 revealed a “dangerously high” white blood depend, which led to a analysis of continual lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
‘It got here as a whole shock’
Sandra was an everyday runner and led a busy life as president of client care at Croda – primarily based at Cowick Hall in Snaith – and the information got here as a “complete shock”.
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She mentioned: “I had no signs in any respect.
“I had a routine BUPA well being evaluation supplied by my employer and acquired a name a few days later to say that my white blood cell depend was exceptionally excessive – round 80k vs the traditional vary of 4 to 11k.
“I was told that leukaemia could be a possibility.”
Sandra was identified with CLL – a kind of slow-developing blood most cancers, which is often solely picked up throughout routine blood assessments – in June 2022.
“The analysis was a reduction,” Sandra mentioned. “The consultant told me there were many great treatments but no cure, and that some people never needed treatment but that it was likely I would.”
Sandra, from Brough, was positioned on the ‘watch and wait’ listing and given blood assessments each three months.
Unfortunately, the assessments confirmed her CLL was slowly progressing, and Sandra was given chemotherapy tablets and immunotherapy administered intravenously for 48 weeks.
‘My state of affairs is a stark reminder that many usually are not so lucky’
Speaking about this, she mentioned: “The first few weeks have been intense, travelling backwards and forwards to Leeds most days for infusions taking six to eight hours.
“I used to be drained however in any other case all went extremely easily.
““I’m fortunate. The revolutionary therapies I acquired would not have been attainable with out analysis.
“Yet my situation is a stark reminder that many are not so fortunate.”
Sandra and Alan, 67, will be a part of 56 runners from throughout the nation in working for Leukaemia UK on the day.
She defined: “It is a formidable problem, particularly for us ‘non-youngsters’, however each step we take might be fuelled by our willpower to make a distinction.
“We are working to make sure that others going through this analysis have the identical probability for a full life that I’ve been given.
“I want anyone who sponsors me for the marathon to know they are writing a hopeful chapter for the next person who hears the word ‘leukaemia’.”
Hanna Chorley, Community and Challenge Events Manager at Leukaemia UK, mentioned: “We are so grateful to Sandra and to all of our superb runners taking on the London Marathon for us.
“We can not wait to cheer them on. With the assistance of unimaginable supporters like Sandra, collectively we will proceed to fund ground-breaking analysis into kinder, more practical therapies for leukaemia.”
Leukaemia UK hopes its supporters’ devoted efforts will elevate round £140,000 to fund extra analysis to cease leukaemia devastating lives.
The charity may have a cheer level for its 56 runners on the long-lasting Tower Bridge.
To donate to Sandra’s fundraiser, go to her JustGiving web page here.
