Partners & Loved Ones Online Chat Are you part of someone's circle of support? If you are a partner, loved one, family member or friend of someone who has been diagnosed, whether newly or post treatment, with aplastic anaemia, or another rare bone marrow failure condition, (such as Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), Fanconi Anaemia or Shwachman Diamond Syndrome (SDS), then this online chat is for you. Our online chat is a warm, friendly space that will be led by Mandy & Lorraine to provide a safe space to connect, vent, laugh and cry with others who are going through similar circumstances to you, without any feelings of judgement or misunderstanding. Being diagnosed with a condition such as aplastic anaemia is life changing, not just for the patient, but for those closest to them also. Led by Mandy & Lorraine Mandy knows first hand how difficult and challenging it can be as her husband, Gareth was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in March 2018 and fully understands what it is like to support a loved one throughout all stages of having a rare condition. This chat will be somewhere for you to feel seen, heard and understood. Lorraine joined the team in May 2025 as the Support and Outreach Programme Manager. She brings a wealth of management experience in the charity sector having spent many years managing support and advice services for adults and children with learning and physical disabilities. More recently she worked for a military charity and a local branch of Home-Start where she set up and managed information and advice services that supported people and families with a wide range of needs. Lorraine is a passionate advocate of the person-centred approach and strives to ensure that everyone understands their rights and is empowered with the knowledge and skills to advocate for themselves and their family member while living with Aplastic Anaemia. Lorraine lives on Hayling Island near Portsmouth and in her spare times loves making her own clothes (which are often quite colourful) and making gifts for family and friends. How we keep this space safe for everyone We know that sometimes it can be nerve-racking attending a new event, so here's how we manage our groups so you know what to expect when you join us. This is a confidential space, where the aim is for you to experience and share empathy and understanding with other people in a similar situation. As the space is confidential, we ask that you do not share what you hear within the group, outside of the group. Your opinions are your own and we ask that everyone respects that other people's opinions may be different from yours, and that's ok! We are an evidence-based organisation and support evidence based treatments. We know that groups are not for everyone, and sometimes you won't know that till you try them out. If you decide a group is not right for you at this time, then that's ok - you can leave with no questions asked. (Although we may check in on you later to see if you're ok). The facilitator is responsible for the wellbeing of the whole group, and if a particular subject is causing distress to others the facilitator will kindly move the discussion on. If anything you hear in the group session distresses you, we invite you to please reach out to your AAT facilitator. Register for free below to receive the Zoom joining link via email. Book a place Ticket Quantity Price Chat: Partner & Loved Ones Online Chat - July 26 We don't have this quantity of tickets. Your quantity has been set to the maximum available Decrease Enter quantity Increase £0.00 Book Manage Cookie Preferences