Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Funds raised in memory of a Dunchurch teenager who died less than a year after being diagnosed with leukaemia, will help fund vital research.
Fred Bennett was 13 years old when he diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in July 2019.
His mum, Louise Bennett, said: “Fred was a relentlessly active boy.
"He was a perpetual risk-taker and always on the go. He loved going too high or too fast.
Fred with mum Louise.Fred with mum Louise.
Fred with mum Louise.
“Then, he was diagnosed with cancer very suddenly in July 2019. He had been unwell for a few days and the GP sent him for blood tests, suspecting glandular fever.”
Fred started treatment quickly, but his cancer did not respond to standard chemotherapy. After a complicated treatment plan, he received the new CAR T-Cell therapy, but he died in May 2020, just ten months after he was diagnosed.
Determined to make a difference for other children diagnosed with cancer in the future, Louise set up Fred Bennett’s Don’t Look Down Fund, a Special Named Fund at Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), to raise money for research into childhood leukaemia.
Louise went on: “Fred’s medical team couldn’t explain why chemotherapy didn’t work for him.
Smiling Fred touched so many lives.Smiling Fred touched so many lives.
Smiling Fred touched so many lives.
"They tried every available option and worked tirelessly for him, but his cancer was relentless.
“We set up Don’t Look Down because we didn’t want other families to go through what we went through, and for kinder, more successful treatments to be found.
“We always said that Fred would change the world and, through Don’t Look Down, we hope he will.”
Since setting up the fund, Fred’s family, friends and a huge number of supporters have worked tirelessly to raise over £112,000, which has been able to contribute to the funding of several research projects.
Louise said: “Our community has been wonderful with fundraising, raising awareness and giving emotional support.
“Fred’s school friends have got cold and muddy in his honour, which is just as he would have liked it.
“They are all 18 now and making their way in the world, and we are incredibly grateful to all of them for continuing to keep Fred’s memory alive.”
Fred Bennett’s Don’t Look Down Fund, alongside three other CCLG Special Named Funds, has been able to help fund more vital new research, led by Professor Christina Halsey at the University of Glasgow.
Her team aim to understand why ALL treatment can cause long-term damage to the brain for some patients.
Louise said: “This new research project is exactly why we set up the fund.
"Cancer treatments take such a devastating toll on children’s bodies, even those who survive. Fred wanted to live his normal, active life, even when he was on treatment.
“This research project could potentially make those treatments kinder, with fewer lasting effects, which is exactly what we hoped to achieve.
“I think Fred would be incredibly proud to know that he has made a difference in this way.”
Professor Halsey said: “Leukaemia cells can hide in the fluid around the brain, so we give chemotherapy into this fluid to kill all of the cancer and stop it from growing back.
"This treatment is very good at killing the leukaemia, but it can also hurt normal brain cells.
“This project is about reducing the side effects of chemotherapy on brain function.
“It’s really important because up to one-third of children can have problems with learning and memory after leukaemia treatment and we don’t know how best to prevent or treat this.”
Professor Halsey’s team will test patients’ brain function and use surveys to identify any brain-related side effects as soon as they appear, either during or after treatment.
They hope to combine this with information about a patient and their treatment to show what makes a child more likely to have these problems, which could ultimately lead to changes in treatment to improve quality of life for children with ALL.
Professor Halsey added: “If we can find out why some children have problems and others don’t, we might unlock new treatments or be able to prevent it from happening in the first place.”
Professor Halsey is also keen to acknowledge the amazing support of the families who have funded her work.
She said: “Our team is so grateful to be given this opportunity. Most cancer research funding goes on finding new treatments, but we think it is also really important that children who are cured of leukaemia grow up happy and healthy with no long-term side effects.
“It is families that champion this type of research, and we couldn’t do it without them. To them I want to say thank you so much – you are such an important part of this team effort.”
Vicki Brunt, Head of Fundraising at CCLG, said: “We are so grateful for our Special Named Funds, who help us fund research that matters most to patients and families.
“The long-term side effects of childhood cancer treatment are a key concern for many families during treatment, so we are delighted to be funding projects like Professor Halsey’s that could make a big difference for children in the future.”
Continue Reading