Professor Persis Amrolia of Great Ormond Street Hospital (and Liverpool fan) explained the importance of the “FINISH-IT!” campaign and the setup of the paediatric programme:
“For certain forms of leukaemia, there has been huge improvement, however we are still losing far too many children and the treatment that we give them is often very toxic – which highlights how desperately we need new treatments and the only way we can do this is through clinical trials.”
Professor Rob Wynn of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (and Liverpool fan) explained the significant role the football community can play as part of Cure Leukaemia’s “FINISH-IT!” campaign:
“In the 1960s, all kids that were diagnosed with leukaemia died. In the 1970s fewer died, in the ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s fewer still and that has come from research. If we have made that progress to help children with blood cancer, then Cure Leukaemia’s campaign rooted in community and football is about curing the ones that we haven’t yet cured!”
“It is through treatment for diseases such as this that we learn what is most important to us – to the kids, it is their football! That is why this campaign is so energising and so important.”
Mum to ten-year-old Leeds United fan Jude who has been treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, Joanne Hawkridge said: “Jude had exhausted all lines of routine treatment, his only hope was a trial.”
“Supporting charities like Cure Leukaemia to help find new treatments, give families likes ours the chance to stay a family. Thank you for helping us Finish-It!”
Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin said: “When Carl Ikeme, Geoff Thomas and Stiliyan Petrov were diagnosed, the world of football put rivalries aside and were fantastic in raising substantial sums of money for Cure Leukaemia. However, there is still so much more to do in the fight against blood cancer.
“We would therefore love football fans across the world to buy a £14 seat to help us sell out Cure Leukaemia’s brand new 250,000 Virtual Stadium. In doing so, we will have the largest stadium in the world and the football community will be playing a pivotal role in helping to deliver new treatments and provide more hope for children with blood cancer.”