A light that travelled around the world: how we experienced Lights of Hope on World Blood Cancer Day
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
On May 28, for World Blood Cancer Day, the Global MPN Scientific Foundation hosted Lights of Hope, a global event created to raise awareness for people living with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and connect the international community through one simple and deeply human symbol: a lit candle.
For more than twelve hours, this light travelled from country to country, from screen to screen, from story to story. From Australia and New Zealand to Canada, passing through Seoul, Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Spain, Latin America and the East Coast of the United States, the MPN community came together to share messages, experiences, knowledge and hope.
One candle may seem small. But when many people share it, it becomes a global message.
A global journey to make MPN visible
Lights of Hope was created with a clear purpose: to build a worldwide journey where patients, families, healthcare professionals, researchers, associations and collaborators could feel part of one shared community.
The event began at 8:00 AM with the participation of Australia and New Zealand, opening a day that continued across different regions of the world. Throughout the event, there were live connections, pre-recorded videos, patient stories, expert contributions, wellbeing activities and messages shared from many different countries.
Each region brought its own light. Oceania opened the journey. Asia added voices from Seoul and Beijing. The Middle East joined from Saudi Arabia. Europe brought contributions from Italy, Israel, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Portugal and Spain. Latin America shared a space of connection, mindfulness and community. The United States and Canada accompanied the final part of this global journey.
The result was a chain of presence, support and visibility that showed the international strength of the MPN community.
Science, patients, wellbeing and community
Throughout the day, Lights of Hope brought together different forms of participation. There was space for scientific information, personal experiences, patient-led projects, wellbeing practices and messages of hope.
International experts and leaders in the field of MPN took part, together with associations, patients and collaborators who shared their perspectives from different contexts. Initiatives such as MPN Journal were also presented, alongside community projects, patient videos and wellbeing activities such as qigong, mindfulness and sound healing.
This diversity of voices reflected one of the central goals of the foundation: to bring scientific knowledge closer to the real lives of patients and build bridges between the community, healthcare professionals, research and industry.
Because myeloproliferative neoplasms are not experienced only in a consultation room. They are also part of daily life, decisions, uncertainty, the need for reliable information and the wish to feel supported.
A candle as a shared symbol
The common thread throughout the event was a candle. A candle lit from a home, an office, a clinic, an association or a screen. A simple light that helped connect people from different countries under one shared message: the MPN community is not alone.
At the end of the journey, members of the team shared a message of hope based on four ideas: Light is strength. Light is visibility. Light is unity. Light is coexistence.
Strength to keep moving forward.Visibility so that MPN can be better understood.Unity to build a global community. Coexistence to remember that living with a condition also means learning to make space for life.
Thank you for being part of Lights of Hope
From the Global MPN Scientific Foundation, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who made this event possible: patients, families, associations, healthcare professionals, researchers, collaborators, interpreters, volunteers and organizations who joined us from different parts of the world.
Thank you to everyone who shared a candle.Thank you to everyone who offered their story. Thank you to everyone who joined live.Thank you to everyone who helped this light travel further.
Lights of Hope was much more than an online event. It was a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together around a shared purpose: to make the invisible visible and bring hope to people living with MPN.
And that light remains alive.
Keeping this light alive also depends on you.
Lights of Hope reminded us of the strength of a global community united by a shared purpose: raising awareness for MPN, sharing knowledge, and supporting people living with these conditions.
At Global MPN Scientific Foundation, we continue working to create educational webinars, bring the patient voice closer to research, support projects such as MPN Journal and Wellbeing, and build a more connected international community.
Your donation helps us continue making this work possible.
Every contribution, big or small, helps this light travel further.
Thank you for helping us continue making the invisible visible.