NPB Leukaemia Fund
In July 2021, we founded Noah's Pink Balloon Leukaemia Fund with medical research at its heart to help alleviate the suffering of other children and their families.
Noah was a kind, compassionate boy who always wanted to help people and, inspired by his bravery, we too want to help people and make a difference.
Noah was a happy, healthy child with a natural zest for life and in his first year of primary school when, out of the blue, he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) Philadelphia Chromosome positive. This type of leukaemia, which is more common in adults, is considered a higher risk blood cancer because the likelihood of achieving remission is 60 to 70%.
Leukaemia
On average, a GP will only see about one or two cases of leukaemia in their working life.
In the UK, more than 650 children a year are diagnosed with leukaemia
One third of all childhood cancers are blood cancers with leukaemia affecting 400 to 500 children in the UK each year usually between the ages of 2 to 7, though it does still affect older children as well. Three out of four patients have common ALL (Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia), and the remainder, like Noah, may have another type of leukaemia.
Despite a courageous fight, at the end of his first month of chemotherapy, Noah's immune system was too weak to fight off an infection and he died of an invasive fungal infection, Mucormycosis.
Urgent investment and research is needed so clinicians know how to treat these types of infections in patients, like Noah, whose immune system was compromised, to improve their chance of a full recovery.
Trustees & Associates
Susan Tesselaar Trustee & Chair
Chair of the fund and mother of Noah. Susan founded the fund together with husband Diederick, and it is her vision which has driven the direction of the charity since its inception. She loves to work with our medical research partners and binds all elements of the charity together.
Diederick Tesselaar Trustee
Diederick, Noah's dad, co-founder of the fund together with Susan is a trustee member who helps guide the strategic direction of the charity and ensure the charity maintains its integrity.
Lucy Greggains FCMI FCA Trustee
Lucy is a chartered accountant and is Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer at the Chartered Management Institute and mum of Poppy, one of Noah's best friends. Lucy brings her finance and governance expertise to the Board of Trustees.
Dr Anna Winship Medical Advisor
Anna is BMedSci MRCP FRCR, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Guy's Cancer Centre in London and advises the fund on research projects with her immense medical knowledge. Anna's children were Noah's first friends in London after he moved from the Netherlands in 2019.