
Jacquie Hellowell
CAR-T Recipient and Patient Advocate with Blood Cancer UK
United Kingdom
"At 18, I started my working life as a Biomedical Scientist in Haematology. I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at 27 and had an anti-dsDNA at >300 in 2018.
In 2019, at 57, I was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma and received 4 lots of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, meaning that I had 2 relapses. After the 2nd relapse, I was privileged to be selected to have CAR-T cell therapy.
My T cells were trained to kill the cancerous B cells, and I was given them back on 16/2/22 (an exciting day as a former Biomedical Scientist!). My cells did their big job in 28 days! My clinician told me I was in the Goldilocks zone (not too hot, not too cold) after 2 weeks and I am still in the Goldilocks zone now over 3 years later. In addition, my dsDNA is now at 20 so no Lupus treatment needed.
I do lots of voluntary work as a CAR-T advocate with Blood Cancer UK, and I was the Patient Case Study in their Action Plan presented at Westminster in September 2024."