Celebrating Our August 2026 Scholarship Recipients

Kristina, a clinical nurse consultant, will attend Blood Conference 2026 in New Zealand thanks to Arrow’s donor‑funded Travel & Conference Scholarship. Her passion lies in long‑term survivorship following stem cell transplantation and CAR‑T therapy.

“Attending BLOOD 2026 will allow me to remain up to date with current research and best practice, particularly in my areas of interest including cardiovascular health, exercise and sexual functioning.”

She described feeling “incredibly grateful and excited” when she learned she had been selected, noting that it was encouraging to have survivorship care recognised and supported.

With plans to commence a PhD in 2027, Kristina sees this scholarship as an invaluable opportunity to connect with cellular therapy nurses nationwide and strengthen her long‑term follow‑up service. Her message to donors captured her gratitude:

“I am very grateful for your investment in nursing professional development and, ultimately, in improving the long‑term care we provide to our patients.”

Lilli, a Clinical Nurse Educator from Hobart, will travel to Auckland to attend the Blood Conference 2026, where she hopes to expand her knowledge and strengthen education programs across her service.

She explained her motivation:

“I am committed to advancing my knowledge and improving outcomes for patients with haematological conditions… attending the Blood Conference will provide valuable opportunities to learn about the latest evidence‑based practices.”

Opportunities for international professional development are limited in Tasmania, making this scholarship especially meaningful. Lilli shared that she felt “fantastic! very appreciative… opportunities like these are scarce here in Tasmania.”

Her donor message emphasised the ripple effect of this support: “The greatest benefit of this scholarship is that the knowledge gained will be shared beyond my own practice… incorporated into education sessions, clinical resources, and professional development opportunities for nursing colleagues across our service.”

Melissa, a specialist Bone Marrow Transplant Social Worker and Team Leader, will attend the Oncology Social Work Australia & New Zealand (OSWANZ) Conference in Sydney to deepen her understanding of emerging psychosocial care practices.

Melissa is one of only a small number of social workers specialising in bone marrow transplantation and has dedicated more than 23 years to supporting transplant patients and their families.

Melissa was “genuinely thrilled and very grateful” to receive the scholarship, noting Arrow’s strong commitment to supporting people affected by blood cancer and bone marrow transplantation. “This scholarship will support me to further develop my knowledge, learn from emerging research and practice, and bring new ideas back to my team and service.”

Melissa is currently in the early stages of a research project exploring the psychosocial and supportive care needs of allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients during the first 100 days following transplantation. She anticipates that attending the conference and learnings from her colleagues will also provide valuable insights, connection and ideas that will help inform this important research.