On 14th March 2002, Stephanie Smith, NZ Clinical Nurse Specialist/Educator for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Christchurch Hospital and Allison Nicol, CEO for the Bone Marrow Transplant Trust, Christchurch travelled to Seattle to visit the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre to learn as much as possible about their specialist areas and to spend time in the Fred Hutchinson Research Unit. Over the last 30 years Seattle has been the world leader in Bone Marrow Transplantation.
While there the Seattle Christchurch Sister City Association looked after them. The Trust's Chairman, Mr Lew McIvor, has had a long association with Seattle and is also a member of the Christchurch-Seattle Sister City Committee.
The Christchurch Unit has had a long association with the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre through Dr Michael Beard of Christchurch and Prof. Donnall Thomas. The Centre has always provided much help and assistance with the management of Christchurch's transplant patients and in 1979 Dr Michael Beard was in close contact with the Seattle unit for two months prior to the first transplant being carried out in Christchurch.
Prof. Donnall Thomas visited New Zealand, with his wife, for the opening of our new Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in 1991. Prof Thomas won the Nobel Prize in Medicine/Physiology in 1990 for his discoveries concerning bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of human disease.
The Bone Marrow Transplant Trust was set up in 1990 to fundraise to help build the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Christchurch Hospital and also to build Ranui House, the nine apartment accommodation facility. The fundraising appeal was launched in February 1991.
After a huge fundraising effort by a large number of individuals, companies and service groups throughout the South Island, the unit was opened freehold in December 1991, and Ranui House was completed in December 1992 and officially opened in February 1993 freehold. The Trust owns and operates Ranui House which is only two minutes walk from the unit. This accommodation is a Home Away From Home for patients and their families who have to come from out of town to Christchurch Hospital for treatment. Families can be there for many months. Children are put into a local private school, which the school kindly allows the children to go to free of charge.
Allison Nichol
CEO
Bone Marrow Transplant Trust
Christchurch, New Zealand