Sheffield Children’s consultants tackle Tour de France challenge to fund life-saving blood cancer research

Two Sheffield Children’s consultants are swapping scrubs for cycling jerseys this summer as they take on one of cycling’s toughest challenges to help transform treatment for children with blood cancer.

Paediatric Haematologist Dr Katharine Patrick and Paediatric Anaesthetist Dr Zoe Burton will cycle an incredible 1,175 kilometres – the full route of the Tour de France Femmes – between 31 July and 8 August, raising vital funds for the charity Cure Leukaemia.

Every mile cycled will help fund the ATICUS Network (Accelerating Trials in Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant), the world’s first national clinical trials infrastructure dedicated to children undergoing stem cell transplants.

For Katharine, the challenge is deeply connected to her work caring for children with blood disorders and cancers. She explains: “Improving access to clinical research trials is so important. We want to make sure that every child who needs it has the same opportunity to benefit from the latest advances in treatment and innovative therapies, regardless of where they live.

“The ATICUS Network will help more children take part in clinical trials by bringing together specialist transplant centres across the UK and making it easier to open and deliver new studies. This will mean new treatments become part of routine NHS care more quickly, so more children can benefit from the latest advances.

“Research is part of how we deliver everyday care here at Sheffield Children’s, and an important piece in the puzzle of creating healthier futures for children and young people.”

As an anaesthetic consultant, Zoe works to help children with leukaemia and other cancers get the treatment they need. Then last year, her seven-year old niece was diagnosed with leukaemia.

“Seeing her endure the first year of her treatment has brought a new perspective and ignited a personal need to achieve something really positive,” said Zoe.

“My niece, sister, her family, and so many others like them, all show such courage, positivity and determination in the face of leukaemia. Training to ride The Route to for Cure Leukaemia’s ATICUS network has presented a challenge, but this pales into insignificance in comparison to what these children and their families are battling every day.”

And while the pair tackle the demanding route across France, colleagues, patients and families back in Sheffield will be getting behind them with a challenge of their own.

On Tuesday 4 August, patients, parents, siblings and staff from the HaemOnc team at Sheffield Children’s will spend the day cycling on static bikes in the outpatient clinic while Katharine and Zoe ride in France.

Katharine added: “We’ve been training for nine months, from early mornings before work on the turbo trainer in the garage to many long rides in the Peak District at the weekend.

“Fitting the training in around work and family life has been a real challenge, but as someone who is healthy and whose family are healthy, I know what a privilege it is to be able to do something like this. I often remind myself that however tough the training seems at times, it is nothing compared to what our patients and their families face everyday.

Funds raised through The Route will help accelerate the development of the ATICUS Network, ensuring more children across the UK have access to pioneering stem cell transplant clinical trials and the latest treatment advances.

The pioneering collaboration, which includes Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, will give children with blood cancer faster access to innovative stem cell transplant clinical trials, helping bring potentially life-saving treatments to patients sooner.

The network brings together leading paediatric clinicians and research nurses from 11 children’s hospitals across the UK to deliver cutting-edge research designed to improve outcomes for children undergoing stem cell transplants.

To find out more about the ATICUS Network, visit www.cureleukaemia.co.uk