Star-Studded Evening Raises £40,000 for Lymphoedema Research Fund
15 May 2024
Joining Gemma and the Charity to raise awareness for the Lymphoedema Research Fund on this unforgettable evening was Finty Williams, who interviewed her mother Dame Judi Dench and son Sam Williams. Also joining them was stage and screen actor, and family friend, Simon Callow.
The panel discussed how they all met, joked about projects they had worked on in the past (with Sam sharing how it felt to have a ‘Bond Woman’ as a grandmother!) and shared their love of Shakespeare and their favourite plays. The audience were also treated to mesmerizing performances of Dickens and Shakespeare from Simon Callow and Dame Judi Dench respectively.
Dame Joanna Lumley then took to the stage to honour her friend Gemma Levine’s incredible work and dedication in ‘opening the doors’ to talking about lymphoedema.
From start to finish, esteemed photographer and author Gemma Levine orchestrated her vision to bring everyone together for an evening of fundraising and awareness for lymphoedema research. From ticket sales, advertising brochure and generous donations, the evening will raise over £40,000 for the Lymphoedema Research Fund (LRF).
Gemma has worked tirelessly over the past few years to transform awareness of lymphoedema research after being diagnosed herself, including working with leading figures in the field on books and organising multiple successful fundraising events.
Lymphoedema is a disease that occurs when the lymphatic system doesn’t function correctly, it's thought to affect over 200,000 people in the UK.
The LRF at St George's Hospital Charity is helping to address the urgent need for more research into diseases of the lymphatic system to develop vital new treatments for patients in the future.
Joining the star-studded line up were speeches from world-leading figures in lymphoedema research: President and CEO of Lymphatic Education and Research Network, William Repicci, and Professor Peter Mortimer, Professor of Dermatological Medicine at St George’s Hospital, who founded the lymphoedema service and research programme nearly 40 years ago.
They discussed the progress that has been made in recent years in this area and the huge amount of work still to be done.
Professor Peter Mortimer said: "The lymphatic system is vital for human health, yet not acknowledged as important. Because so little has been known about it, doctors in training are not taught about lymphoedema, and so do not recognise it.
"People with lymphoedema may remain misdiagnosed or undiagnosed for years; some never get a diagnosis.
"This evening was all about raising awareness and much-needed research funds for lymphoedema. Knowledge stems from research. This knowledge provides the necessary tools to educate and train healthcare professionals and improve treatments for patients.
"Money already raised has enabled the first research grant to be awarded recently. These grants aim to provide funding for important studies for which money cannot easily be obtained from the main research charities.
"Indeed, even though the lymphoedema team at St George's has recently had a grant of £3 million from the Medical Research Council, such prestigious large awards would not be possible without the preliminary results obtained through the Lymphoedema Research Fund at St George’s Hospital Charity."
Gemma Levine closed the evening by inviting 14-year-old Rafa and 22-year-old Bella to the stage who were both diagnosed with lymphoedema as infants. Highlighting how, despite the challenges they have faced growing up, with the right care and treatment they are both thriving.
Gemma shared how Rafa is now a keen rugby player at his school and Bella is an editorial trainee and content creator.
Sharing her inspiring and honest experience of living with lymphoedema and her subsequent transformational fundraising and awareness-raising work, Gemma summarised her ethos quite simply: “You can’t fight the tide, but you can learn to swim.”
Katy Vaughan, CEO of St George’s Hospital Charity, said: “I would like to extend our deepest appreciation and thanks to Gemma Levine for her outstanding efforts in leading a fabulous night in aid of St George’s Hospital Charity.
"The Charity's mission is to support innovative health research that improves patient care, with the Lymphoedema Research Fund being one of our key areas. Thanks to everyone involved for making this evening a success and enormous thanks to Gemma for the transformational work she has done to raise awareness and much-needed funds to enhance research and awareness of Lymphoedema.”
If you would like to find out more about lymphoedema, you can find more information in 'Let's Talk Lymphoedema', authored by Gemma Levine and Professor Peter Mortimer: https://gemmalevine.co.uk/lets-talk-lymphoedema/
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