Georgia & Cenk’s story
At the start of December 2023, we sat down with celebrity star Georgia Harrison (famously known for shows like Love Island and The Challenge) and Leukaemia UK, as part of their Christmas Appeal, to help raise awareness (and research) around leukaemia and the other types of blood cancers. Georgia spoke to us about her best friend, Cenk, who sadly passed away from leukaemia on 21st December 2021, aged 26. Georgia and Cenk first met back in school, when they were just teenagers, and became friends from that moment on. When remembering her best friend, Georgia describes him saying “Cenk was so full of life, so cheeky, so fun-loving. He just had this incredible way about him – everywhere he went people just loved him. He had the biggest heart.” Throughout the years, Cenk had several rounds of chemotherapy and Georgia was always by his side: “I’d go and stay with him in hospital and push a single bed up next to his. We were always getting told off by the nurses for having the telly on at night or talking too loud, but we still always had a good time.”
For many years, Leukaemia UK have been working tirelessly to fund research and treatments for the various types of blood cancers. As a charity, the Leukaemia UK team are super dedicated, offering endless support and guidance to those fighting blood cancer, as well as supporting their families through the difficult times. Did you know that in the UK, around 27 people are diagnosed with leukaemia every day? Fiona Hazell, the Chief Executive of Leukaemia UK says “We firmly believe that research has the power to stop leukaemia devastating lives, and that’s why we’re investing in world-class research to find kinder, more effective treatments. We can’t do that without support from the public, and we’re so grateful to Georgia and to Cenk’s family for bravely sharing their story to raise awareness.” To hear more about Georgia and Cenk’s story, watch the full video below:
Thank you 🧡
We filmed Georgia’s interview at Leukaemia UK’s London office, capturing some b-roll footage of her chatting/interacting with some of the LUK team. Ending the video, Georgia says “I think it’s so important to support Leukaemia UK.” There are so many amazing treatments out there now, and if it wasn’t for charities like Leukaemia UK, these treatments wouldn’t be available – but there is so much more than can be done. There are so many more treatments to be discovered, and I don’t want families to keep having that empty seat at the dinner table at Christmas. I want there to be a cure for leukaemia, so the best thing we can do is fund research and try to find more treatments.”
As always, a big thank you to Leukaemia UK for their continuous hard work and dedication, and to Georgia for sharing her heartwarming story about her friend, Cenk. If you, a friend or a loved one has any concerns about your/their health, please contact your GP straightaway; early diagnosis saves lives. For more information on leukaemia, head over to their website to learn more. Thank you 🧡
