Pearl Wedding for Myeloma Awareness

After being diagnosed with one of the least known cancers – myeloma – Pat Wilson began working to make more people aware of it. Since her diagnosis in 2009, Pat was surprised to find that as many as 97 per cent of people did not know what it was.

Recently, she and her husband Tony used their Pearl Wedding Anniversary to promote myeloma awareness.

Myeloma is a cancer that attacks plasma cells in the bone marrow. The function of these cells is to protect the body against infection. Of the estimated 4,000 people per year in the UK who are diagnosed with the condition, 80 per cent are over 65.

The general lack of knowledge about the disease is potentially life-threatening. The poor survival rates are partly due to late diagnoses, according to a report in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Greater awareness would mean earlier diagnosis and potentially better prognoses. Combined with more effective life-prolonging drugs, more information would also mean a greater likelihood of longer survival.

Pat and Tony’s 30th anniversary will be on 8 July, but they decided to move the celebrations forward a little to coincide with Myeloma Awareness Week.

The celebrations had an orange theme to match the colour of Myeloma UK.

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