TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Today marks World CLL Day and the beginning of Blood Cancer Awareness Month. CLL Canada, an organization that advocates for Canadians living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is launching a national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of protecting immunocompromised communities against COVID-19.
Starting September 1st, and for the month of September, Canadians are asked to stand in solidarity with the CLL community by taking a photo wearing a mask or holding an umbrella, the universal campaign symbol, and sharing it using #CLLCanada, #immunitycommunity and #WCLLD21. The umbrella is used as a form of a shield, emphasizing the aspect of proactive choice to protect.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic many people, especially those in the immunocompromised community, have experienced isolation, fear, and the difficulty of keeping safe," says Raymond Vles, Chair, CLL Canada. "This campaign provides an opportunity for Canadians to come together to give those affected by a diagnosis of CLL a much-needed voice. We're asking Canadians from coast-to-coast to help support us this month by participating in the campaign - because your immunity protects our community."
CLL is a type of blood cancer which causes the bone marrow to make defective B-lymphocytes, a white blood cell that is part of the body's immune sytem1. These cancerous cells accumulate in the blood and lymph nodes, driving out the healthy ones, thereby hindering the body's ability to fight infections1. The chronic cancer2 affects more than 2,200 Canadians each year1 and is considered the most common form of leukemia in adults2. There is no cure for CLL2 although there are many treatment options that allow patients to feel well and live for years, albeit with a compromised immune system.
"CLL Patients are immunocompromised; they do not get the same benefit from vaccination as the healthy population," says Dr. Versha Banerji MD FRCPC, CLL expert and Clinician Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba and Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba. "The best chance to protect those with CLL amidst the pandemic is by protecting yourself. This September, let's stand with CLL patients and their families to show support and solidarity."
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1 |
CLL Advocated Network. What is CLL? Leukemia Patient Advocates Foundation. https://www.clladvocates.net/cll-information/ |
2 |
A Patient's Guide to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia & Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma. Lymphoma Canada. |
For campaign information, visit https://www.wclld.org/.
For information and resources on CLL, visit https://cllcanada.org/.
CLL Canada's campaign was made possible through the support of AbbVie Canada.
About CLL Canada
CLL Canada continues its advocacy on behalf of CLL patients. We make the patient voice heard in the decisions that govern access to new treatments as well as the reform of the federal regulations on drug pricing, to ensure the latter does not hinder the introduction of new treatments to Canada. We are also bringing the patient voice to discussions with the pharmaceutical industry and other stakeholders in the health system. We also keep CLL patients and caregivers informed about the disease and its treatment, because informed patients get better care. Learn more at CLL Canada's website: www. https://cllcanada.org
SOURCE CLL Canada
Raymond Vles, Chair of CLL Canada, [email protected]; Caroline De Silva, VP, Argyle Public Relationships, [email protected]
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