By Theresa Beattie, OBE
Hello, I’m Theresa, I’m 63 and on 25th July I celebrated the first anniversary of my stem cell transplant. I am able to write this thanks to the profound generosity of my anonymous donor, and the extraordinary NHS care I continue to receive at UCLH. Truly, it takes a village to deliver my treatment, and I will always be grateful. I support this charity because I want others to benefit from the same exceptional care.
I’m a freelance arts consultant, working with dance organisations and artists. Early last year I began to notice I had a bit less energy while cycling to and swimming at the local lido. I checked my bike for a slow puncture – there wasn’t one. Long story short, after a blood test in a local clinic, I was fast-tracked from the Whittington hospital to UCLH and diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia/MDS. I was in disbelief, and I told and retold my story in an effort to make it real.
This transition was smooth and reassuring and my care began with Dr Jenny O’Nions (recently named Consultant Haematologist of the Year 2024) and later with Professor Emma Morris, Dr Ben Carpenter, Dr Kirsty Thomson and Dr Maeve O’Reilly. I was also part of a clinical trial with Dr Panos Kottaridis. Their expertise was matched by their generosity: they explained each step clearly, welcoming my husband and friends into clinics and to join conversations.
Micaela my clinical nurse specialist and support staff were equally vital, guiding me through fast-moving treatment and helping me feel informed and prepared. Attending Transplant School gave me, my husband, and friends the confidence to look after me pre-and post-transplant. In hospital, the sensitively designed rooms in Grafton Way became places of possibility and hope. My target was to visit the terrace, and when I achieved this, it nurtured my soul. Soul food matters when you’re seriously ill.
Nurses and healthcare assistants lifted my spirits with kindness during tough times and cared for my husband and friends during those I don’t remember. I enjoyed being in a teaching hospital with learning all around me – during my transplant, a senior nurse supervised a colleague: stem cells were being passed to me, knowledge passed to her.
The difficult transition to outpatient care was made possible by expert care and Antony, the BMT Support Worker, became a lifeline. When clinic visits reduced Alison (CNS), Maria (psychologist), Cassandra (dietician), and the Haematology Outpatients team helped me through; their skill meant I could be vulnerable, angry, frightened or simply quiet, and still feel supported.
This combination of expertise, humanity and teamwork gave me the best chance of recovery and it’s why I chose to donate —to thank the NHS and UCLH, and in recognition of the brilliant people who continue to care for me.
