|  |  Jack's diary
Release Date: 12th June 2002
When Deborah Hubbard's son Jack was diagnosed with leukaemia, aged five, she and her husband Ray, thought it was the end of the world. As they struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis, Jack was faced with strange hospitals, sometimes painful treatments, loss of hair and much time off school.
But thanks to advances in treatment, Jack, now aged 11, pulled through. Deborah, says: "Just this month, Jack's consultant said he only expected to get postcards from us now. It was such a relief to hear that news, they are words I thought I might never hear."
"But Jack's experience is one I will never forget," she adds. The 40-year old from Thundersley in Essex has taken his inspiration from her son's fight with leukaemia to write a compelling book for children about coping with leukaemia. The book - which has now been published by the Leukaemia Research Fund - will provide a vital point of reference for children and parents across the UK, who may in some way be affected by this devastating disease.
"When the doctors told us Jack had leukaemia we were absolutely devastated," says Deborah.
"It was hard for us to accept that our own child had this life threatening disease. What made it worse was that we knew so little about the disease and how it could affect our lives.
"Most of the information we could find on leukaemia was aimed at adults and was too technical for Jack to understand," she adds. Jack was treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) between 1996 and 1998. He is now 11 years old and has been in remission for more than 4 years.
Deborah felt many children and parents would benefit from positive information that was easy to understand. So she sat down and tried to write a book that would share Jack's experiences, his worries and fears.
"I'm so glad that Leukaemia Research Fund has decided to publish this book so that people all around the world can see what it is really like for a child to have leukaemia," Deborah says.
Professor John Lilleyman, an expert in treating children with leukaemia, also welcomed the new book: "I think it is brilliant. It is accurate, informative, and easy to read. It will be of great help to other families starting out on the same experience."
 | The Seven Steps to bone marrow transplantion |
The Leukaemia Research Fund has also published a new comprehensive patient guide to bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The 90-page guide - called The Seven Steps to Blood & Bone Marrow Transplantation - has been specifically written to help patients and their families through this difficult treatment.
Written by Michelle Kenyon, Bone Marrow Coordinator Nurse at King's College Hospital, the book is a vital resource for any BMT patient. "Thousands of patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and other cancers of the blood need a bone marrow transplant each year."
"Having a bone marrow transplant is like taking a journey into the unknown, not only for the patient but also for their families. I felt there was a real need for a book which took patients through the whole process of BMT, giving them comprehensive information on what to expect."
The book guides patients through each stage of their treatment, right from preparing for the transplant, to conditioning therapy, the transplant itself, to potential complications and recovery. It also contains a glossary of all the terms that patients are likely to come across when they are having this therapy.
Leukaemia Research Fund is the only national charity devoted exclusively to improving treatments, finding cures and learning how to prevent leukaemia, Hodgkin's disease and other lymphomas, myeloma and the related blood disorders, diagnosed in 21,500 people in Britain every year. Further information, including patient booklets, is available from:
 | your nearest LRF voluntary fundraising Branch (see Yellow Pages) |
| LRF, 43 Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JJ tel: 020 7269 9068 ; e-mail: info@lrf.org.uk |
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