Ambassador stories

Many Light the Night events have ambassadors who will tell their story to help us to remember a loved one, reflect on our life with a disease and support the Leukaemia Foundation's work.

Adelaide, SA

Gold Ambassador, Andrea White, shines a light for the beautiful, much-loved daughter her family lost to leukaemia in 1995. After Melissa died, her family raised more than $110,000 in five years for leukaemia and in 1999 established the Melissa White Memorial Laboratory within the Hanson Institute.

White Ambassador, Margit Keogh, epitomises the message of life from our white lantern. Margit has been in remission from AML for 15 years and while she can’t be sure, she wonders if her close association with Professor Tim Hughes, head of the Melissa White Memorial Laboratory, is the reason.

Blue Ambassador, Professor Timothy Hughes, leads research that offers hope for better treatments and cures. Professor Hughes is Clinical Head of the Melissa White Memorial Laboratory.  The Leukaemia Foundation is a major supporter of his research efforts to improve leukaemia therapies and survival rates.

Bunbury, WA

Gold Ambassador, Bethanie Christie, lights the night to remember her mum. Bethanie also remembers that when her mum passed away many years ago from lymphoma, there was no real information or support available. She knows the importance of helping the Leukaemia Foundation to support families like hers.

12 year old White Ambassador, Andrew Draper, reflects on his life and making the most of opportunities. In the space of a week a few years ago, Andrew went from the soccer pitch to intensive care with multiple organ failure and a non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis. He recently embraced the opportunity to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Blue Ambassador, Tom Busher, represents our supporters and the hope they offer. Tom is the Manager of Community Relations at the Wagerup Refinery and has been a solid supporter of the Leukaemia Foundation.  He knows that Light the Night is key to providing a brighter future for our patients and their families.

Geelong, Vic

White Ambassador, Daryl King, is in remission from leukaemia and reflects on his life since diagnosis in March 2009. As a father of four, and grandfather of two, he’s making the most of life -- spending time with family and following the local footy.

Melbourne, Vic

Gold Ambassador, Jenny Jensen, will remember her inspirational son, Ricky, who died of leukaemia in 2010. She says that taking part in Light the Night with family and friends honours your loved ones and helps the grieving process – by being able to see that others are walking a journey of hope.

White Ambassador, Peter Clunas, is reflecting on his life since the day in 2001 that he was diagnosed with leukaemia.  In remission after a bone marrow transplant he joins us in Melbourne to shine his light.

White Ambassador, Xenia Alexander, had celebrated her 15^th birthday just two weeks before her diagnosis with leukaemia in 2002. After six rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant she is able to reflect on her life after blood cancer.

Blue Ambassador, Dr Ashley Ng, a haematologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital is also researching blood cancer at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and offering hope for the future. He says that the support of organisations like the Foundation is vitally important -- that without this support, the research just doesn’t get done.

Perth, WA

White Ambassador, 21 year-old Emerson Lievense, says being diagnosed last year with a rare type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma was life-defining. He believes that he lived through the experience to raise awareness of the non-discriminatory nature of blood cancer.

Blue Ambassador, Iain Gerrard, represents the hope offered by supporters like the team at Deloitte. Deloitte has supported the Leukaemia Foundation over the last few years, and Ian sees Light the Night as an opportunity to lead by example and help West Australians living with blood cancer.

Sydney, NSW

Gold Ambassador, Trish Tacchi, remembers her husband and business partner, Ron, who passed away in February 2010.  Trish only became aware of the Leukaemia Foundation when Ron was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2007 by Dr Will Stevenson, our Blue Ambassador. She has seen first-hand the care and support provided.

White Ambassador, Kirrily Laws, reflects on a life changed forever in April 2010. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma after having a lump removed, she started chemotherapy in May that year.  Kirrily is now on a quarterly maintenance program for two years after which she hopes to be in full remission.

Blue Ambassador, Dr Will Stevenson from Royal North Shore Hospital, offers hope with his research. As recipient of the Leukaemia Foundation’s Career Establishment Grant in 2006 he was able to develop a test to measure the activity of an enzyme in blood cells found in patients with myeloproliferative disorders.