DALAF – Celebrating 25 Years!
Each year the charity brings
cheer to the hospital’s
Haemato-oncology Unit by
funding the patients’ Christmas
Party and in the Oak Centre for
Children and Young People they
provide prizes for all the children
taking part in the popular
annual Christmas Card
Competition.
Cheque presentation Grace Ball 2015 to Cally Palmer CBE, CEO
of Royal Marsden Hospital (right) and Dr Claire Dearden (left) with
Mandie Adams McGuire.
D
ALAF, (The David Adams
Leukaemia Appeal Fund),
began 25 years ago following
the sad death of David
Adams from leukaemia at the
young age of 38. His wife,
Mandie, and he were so
taken by the care he received
from The Royal Marsden that
they began their fundraising
prior to his death, even
including David doing a
London to Bristol bike ride on
a static bike in his isolation
room at the hospital.
Mandie has continued this
fundraising, and this year the
charity marks its 25th
Anniversary, which is a
wonderful achievement and one
to be celebrated. DALAF now
runs many exciting annual
events including two celebrity
cricket matches, a golf day and
the prestigious annual ball
which is always held at a five
star London Hotel. This year the
The goal is always to give
people a fun experience at the
events, whilst raising much
needed funds, and with this
ethos the charity has grown
enormously since the early
days. It has raised well over a
million pounds thanks to loyal
friends, supporters and a
wonderfully dedicated voluntary
committee. Mandie Adams
McGuire received a richly
deserved MBE from the Queen
at Windsor Castle for her
services to charity in the
Queen’s Birthday Honours list in
2014.
DALAF has funded several
research fellows, including the
first research fellow Dr Bhawna
David Adams.
theme is a Glittering Grace Ball
and the ballroom at The
Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel
will be transformed into a winter
wonderland spectacular. There
are also many smaller local
charity events; the very popular
curry nights and theatrical
evenings and carol singing at
Paddington station amongst
others.
Feb Fools 2016 group shot- left to right John Altman ‘Nasty Nick’
EastEnders, Dr Tania Matthias MP, Mandie Adams McGuire MBE,
Chris Tarrant OBE, Michael Blumberg, Simon Rose and kneeling
Tim Skelton.
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Circus Uncertainty at the
Grace Ball 2015.
The Royal Marsden School, an
achievement of which Mandie is
rightly proud.
More recently DALAF has helped
fund the Centre for Molecular
Pathology and supported the
Translational Genomics
Laboratory and the
charity is currently
involved with
fundraising for new
facilities at The
Royal Marsden in
Sutton for haematooncology patients.
DALAF’S ambitions
for the years ahead
include aiming to
raise £200,000 to
help fund these
The recent riders who rode the Ride 100.
new, state-of-the-art
haemato-oncology
facilities. Patients with blood
Sirohi (who at that time worked
cancers require bespoke
at The Royal Marsden) who was
facilities specifically suited to
recently awarded the UK’s
their specialist clinical needs.
highest academic honour of
The new unit will provide
Fellow of The Royal College of
patients and staff with access to
Physicians.
the latest medical equipment
and technology, in an
In 2003, in recognition of
environment suited to their
DALAF’s support of The Royal
clinical needs; thereby ensuring
Marsden, the hospital named
patients receive the very best
their library The David Adams
treatment and care.
Nurses Library, which is part of
If you would like to learn more about the David Adams
Leukaemia Appeal Fund or become involved please visit
www.davidadamsleukaemiaappeal.org Tel: 020 8891 2221.
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