Please click on the above links (individually) to view a video and Beverley's speech at the conference
Beverley De-Gale attended her 2nd European
Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
Date: March 30th till April 2nd 2008
Beverley De-Gale attended the 2nd EBMT Patient & Family Day which took place on Saturday, March 29 2008, the day prior to the EBMT Annual Meeting at the Fortezza da, Florence Italy.
The EBMT board decided to repeat the initiative based on the success of the first event in Lyon, France last year and in line with the society’s goal of improving communication between EBMT professionals and patients. This is increasingly relevant due to the rapid evolution of transplantation associated technology and its relationship with the growing field of cellular therapy. The introduction of new drugs and graft manipulation techniques, combined with changes in the clinical pattern of transplantation, particularly in the outpatient setting, has led to remarkable developments in the field over the last few years. The EBMT have therefore designed a programme aimed at exploring both scientific trends and the special relationship which is often created between the clinical BMT personnel and patients and their families.
The information consisted of two presentations, four plenary sessions and six workshops led by physicians, nurses, patients, donors and family members. The two presentations were an overview of transplant activity in Europe and the Clinical evolution of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). The topics covered in the plenary sessions were, the quality of life post transplantation; donors and patients experiences; the relationship between nurses, patients and the families and finally a session from the point of view of the family members themselves. Beverley De-Gale addressed a full auditorium about her ‘point of view’ as a family member affected by leukaemia and bone marrow transplantation. (Her speech is attached in a PDF format).
The workshops on selected diseases were increased both in length and number to allow for greater discussion and broader reach. Separate sessions looked at acute leukaemia, chronic leukaemias, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, MDS, anaemia and PNH and Multiple Sclerosis. All the sessions were simultaneously translated into Italian or English making it a comprehensive day for all participants, with additional time allowed after each presentation for discussion. The organisers were delighted to be holding the 2nd Patient and Family Day in Florence and hope that patients and families from all over Europe would be interested in participating and thereby forming an integral part of the EBMT.
