With CLL being the most common leukemia in adults and with that “the number one”, celebrating World CLL Day on the first day of Blood Cancer Awareness Month and – by that – kicking off this international event that has been helping to tell the story of blood cancer each September, is of great symbolic value. World CLL Day helps build momentum towards other major event involving the CLL community on World Leukaemia Day (4 September), World Lymphoma Awareness Day (15 September) and many other activities during the month of September.
On World CLL Day we also wish to send a message of THANKS to those with healthy immunities for considering our community and showing understanding. During the COVID-19 pandemic many people experienced isolation, fear and the difficulty of keeping safe – an insight into the life of a CLL patient.
For WCLLD 2021, the umbrella, a form of shield, was chosen as the central campaign image. You can hold it over yourself or someone else, emphasising the aspect of proactive choice to protect others, e.g. by wearing a mask, getting vaccinated & making room.
The umbrella still carries the message into World CLL Day 2022. CLL patients and other immunocompromised patients need help to be able to get on board with those more able to navigate the world as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted across the globe. World CLL Day 2022 also takes into account the current climate where there is a level of virus circulating in society and weariness about the pandemic information. For this, we have chosen to turn the umbrella into a boat by simply flipping it on its head. By this we wish to emphasize the idea of protection while at the same time reinforcing the message of moving forward and navigating the world with COVID-19.
