In memory of Joanne

We are taking part in the Newcastle Inflatable 5K in memory of our much-loved Joanne, our Grandma and Aunty Jam. Joanne passed away at the age of 64 after battling aplastic anaemia, and not a day goes by that we don’t think about her.

She was funny, loud, and always the life and soul of the room. Loved by so many people, she was the kind of person who would do anything for anyone. To Josh and Evie she was the best Grandma anyone could wish for, and for Macy she was “the grand bairn we never had”. She never believed she was too old for anything — if the kids were doing it, she was doing it too. Whether it was climbing on a bouncy castle at the Manor House, going round the zipline four times at Gulliver’s Kingdom when Grandad John wouldn’t even go on it once, making memories on family days out, or laughing together on New Year’s Eve, she was always right in the middle of the fun.

The three of us wouldn’t have the bond we do without Joanne. She was at the centre of so many of our happiest memories growing up together.

Joanne loved shopping, took cleaning to a whole new level, and Christmas at her house was something special, with decorations that seemed to get bigger and better every year. But more than anything, she loved her family, and those are the memories we will treasure forever.

We are raising money for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust in her memory and to support others affected by this rare condition. We know she would be incredibly proud of us taking on this challenge together. In fact, if she were still here, she’d probably be doing the Inflatable 5K with us. We like to think she’ll be waiting for us at the finish line, cheering us on every step of the way.

What is aplastic anaemia?
Aplastic anaemia is a rare and life threatening condition caused by the bone marrow not functioning properly.

In people with aplastic anaemia, the bone marrow fails to produce enough of all three types of blood cells – red, white and platelets.
Aplastic anaemia treatment is very similar to the treatment someone might have for leukaemia - but because it's so rare, families often don't have access to the same information and support.

The Aplastic Anaemia Trust is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by aplastic anaemia and funding research into this rare form of bone marrow failure.