About The David Adams Leukaemia Appeal
David Adams
The David Adams Leukaemia Appeal Fund was founded in memory of the late David Adams, whose life was prolonged by The Royal Marsden for two years after his initial diagnosis of leukaemia. During those two years, he raised many thousands of pounds for the hospital and his efforts have since been continued by his family and friends.
The charity has gone on to raise significant funds and to help make a difference to those suffering from cancer and their families who are also devastated by the
disease.
Current fundraising
Oak Cancer Centre at the Royal Marsden
We are enormously proud of the funds we raised towards the Oak Cancer Centre which was officially opened on the 8th June 2023 by HRH Prince William the Prince of Wales, at The Royal Marsden in Sutton. This new facility will include a state-of-the-art haemato- oncology unit for which we are delighted to help raise money. The new unit within the Oak Cancer Centre will ensure that patients with blood cancers can receive the very best treatment and care, and make it possible for patients to be seen in an environment specifically suited to their clinical needs.
This exciting new centre will mean that The Royal Marsden is able to see thousands more patients each year. Your generous support and contributions towards this hugely ambitious project are greatly appreciated.
About Mandie
Mandie Adams MBE
David was a tenacious person. As an actor he was not scared to knock on doors. He was charismatic, fun and had a good sense of humour. He drew on all these qualities to fight his disease and so the staff at the Marsden grew to love him.
When David was diagnosed with leukaemia by the local doctor and told there was no cure and to basically go home to die, it was luck that got him seen by the amazing Professor Ray Powles who prolonged his life by two years.
When David was in his isolation room at the Royal Marsden, receiving treatment over a month-long period, he decided to do a bike ride from London to Bristol on a static bike with a fellow patient Jake also in his isolation room. They raised several thousands of pounds.
Then with a fellow patient Peter and his wife Brenda we created the 5’s walk, which I consider to be the forerunner to the Marsden March.
So after two years of prolonged life that the Marsden gave David, it was the natural progression to carry on raising money. My aim has always been to combat this dreadful disease and to keep David’s memory alive, for his two very young children, Alex aged 6 and Katie 4.
With a wonderful and dedicated committee, we have gone on to raise significant funds and to help make a difference to those suffering from cancer and their families who are also devastated by the
disease.
Thankfully the success rate in treatment gets better every year and I feel we really do make a difference!
And I am enormously proud of the dedication that Alex puts into making the Grace Ball better and better each year.
I appreciate so very much the support given by our committee and those that attend our events.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Mandie x
Our
Highlights
We have funded two vital research posts (Dr Bhawna Sirohi, who was recently awarded the UK’s highest academic honour of Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians. And Dr Matthew Jenner who has gone on to be the clinical lead for haematology at University Hospital Southampton).
The David Adams Nurses’ Library, which is part of the School of Cancer Nursing at The Royal Marsden, was established in 2003 and named after David in recognition of our support to the hospital. As well as purchasing books and equipment within the library, we now award a prize to a nurse who has excelled whilst undertaking post graduate studies.
The state-of-the-art Centre for Molecular Pathology was opened with our help in 2013. It is a dedicated diagnostic and research centre that continues to provide a better understanding of each person’s disease, thus allowing personalised treatments for patients.
We have supported the Cancer Genetics project, which led to the establishment of the Translational Genomics Laboratory, which is delivering gene testing to cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and beyond. It analyses individual genetic information to optimise the treatment of cancer patients and their families.
In 2015 we were proud to fund the purchase of a cell separator, a much needed piece of equipment, which will aid the research and treatment into Leukaemia and other blood cancers. This important new machine will further advance cancer diagnosis, treatment and patient care, so we were delighted to be able to handover a cheque of £50,000 to Cally Palmer, the Marsden’s CEO at our Grace Ball.
Each year we bring a bit of Christmas cheer to the Leukaemia unit by funding the patients’ Christmas party and gifts. In the children’s unit, we provide prizes to all the children that enter our annual Christmas card competition.
