A specialist blood service at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital has been highly praised by its patients in a film to raise awareness of a life-threatening condition that impacts only six in every million people per year.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) is a rare blood disorder which causes blood clots to form in small blood vessels throughout the body, stopping blood flow to vital organs and triggering a medical emergency.
In a bid to raise awareness of the condition, which even few healthcare professionals have heard of, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital commissioned the film 'You, Me & TTP' to share stories of TTP patients across the North West.
The premiere of the film took place at the hospital, which is run by NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, and was attended by many of the centre’s patients, their families, the UK TTP Patient Network Lead, Jo Mcintyre, and the High Sheriff of Liverpool, Dr Ruth Hussey.
Dr Tina Dutt, Consultant Haematologist and TTP Specialist Centre Lead at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, said: “I cannot thank our patients enough for their honesty and bravery in sharing their stories in this film.
“We want this film to be a resource to empower others who may be diagnosed with TTP in the future, and to provide comfort and reassurance to patients who may currently be experiencing feelings of isolation and fear.
“The TTP team here are committed to providing the highest standards of care irrespective of the rarity of TTP and we will continue to work closely with our patients to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. We want our patients to return to enjoying their lives despite having this diagnosis”.
Patients with TTP will experience symptoms including fever, fatigue, headaches, confusion, rashes, bruises and stroke-like symptoms. The condition is fatal without treatment.
The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the TTP Specialist Centre for North West England and is the second largest centre in the country, treating about 100 patients at any one time, with about 15 new referrals each year.
Three of the patients who feature in the film are Johannes, Jane and Tracey. You can learn more about each of their stories here.