Paris may well be the city of love, but for a few days in April this year it will also be the city of bone marrow transplants as the 49th European Bone Marrow Transplant Conference is held there. And this year, a dedicated nurse from Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle will be there thanks to the generous support of the Hartog family.

Louisa Brown, a bone marrow transplant clinical nurse coordinator at The Mater, is looking forward to keeping up to date with the latest research relating to the care and management of bone marrow transplant patients.

“The last few years have seen significant changes and pressures in the way we prepare and support patients through their transplant journey,” Louisa says.

Bone marrow transplant recipients are severely immunocompromised during treatment, and so are at heightened risk of infection, even under ‘normal’ circumstances. Add to that a global pandemic, and you see significant changes to the delivery of treatment, disease monitoring and post-transplant management. This year’s European Bone Marrow Transplant Conference will offer Louisa opportunities to keep up to date with advances in these areas so that she can continue to offer world-class treatment and care to bone marrow transplant recipients in the Hunter New England region.

The Sylvia Hartog Nursing Award

Sylvia Hartog was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis in 2010, at the age of 49. Sadly, Sylvia passed away after two years of treatment including two bone marrow transplants. A medical doctor herself, Sylvia and her family were impressed by the level of skill and expertise among the nursing staff of St Vincent’s Hospital where she was receiving treatment. Sylvia’s husband Philip Hartog and their family established the Sylvia Hartog Nursing Award to offer dedicated nurses like Louisa opportunities to stay abreast of the latest research in bone marrow transplant patient care.

We look forward to hearing about the conference from Louisa upon her return from Paris!