Beating Blood Cancer with Survivor, Michael Bowen

Today is World CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia) Day.

Currently, 375 people are diagnosed with CML each year in Australia and in 2019, Michael Bowen was one of them.

He was on his way to work one day when he got an urgent call to come into the emergency department.

Minutes later, he received the life changing and shocking news that he had a chronic form of blood cancer.

Supporting a young family, Michael’s first thoughts were of his baby daughter, confronted with the question of if he was going to live to be there for her.
No one could have prepared Michael for the hardship in the years that followed.

The immense mental and physical difficulty of living with cancer and the self-applied pressure to get back to being the man he thought he was, sent Michael spiralling into a deep depression.

But step-by-step and with great support from friends and family, Michael slowly dragged himself out of the pit of despair that’d all but swallowed him.

Now Michael’s in remission and sharing his story on behalf of the Leukaemia Foundation. September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so if someone you love is diagnosed with blood cancer, please reach out to the Leukaemia Foundation on 1800 620 420 or visit leukaemia.org.au.

You can also join the thousands of Australians impacted by blood cancer by participating in this year’s Leukaemia Foundation’s Light the Night event on Saturday 16 October. Visit lightthenight.org.au for more info.