IT WAS the sight of a little baby covered in wires that compelled an England cricketing hero to take action in the fight against a killer disease. Seeing tiny George Lineker battle against leukaemia aged just eight weeks left David Gower with little doubt that he had to do something to help.

Having witnessed the devastating impact that the disease had on his good friend, England footballing legend Gary Lineker, and his family, David and his wife Thorunn threw their support behind Leukaemia Busters.

Since then the Hampshire charity has gone from strength to strength, with the support of a Daily Echo-backed campaign that has helped Drs David and Bee Flavell achieve their dream.

Together they have turned a personal tragedy into hope for the thousands of youngsters fighting for survival against leukaemia over the last 20 years.

Their research has helped transform what used to be a certain death sentence into life for three-quarters of children now diagnosed with this terrible disease.

But for Hampshire’s dynamic doctor duo, the work of Leukaemia Busters will not rest until all forms of the disease can be safely, quickly and completely cured.

However, their goal to find the next generation of treatment can only be achieved with the continued support from the Daily Echo readership.

Now with the help of patrons, former England and Hampshire cricket captain David Gower and his wife Thorunn, they want to boost support to ensure the dream of a cure will become a reality.

David and Thorunn became a driving force behind the campaign after watching their friends Gary and Michelle Lineker suffer the trauma of having their child struck down with the disease.

So when the Linekers decided to step down as patrons for Leukaemia Busters after 11 years in 2004, the Gowers didn’t hesitate to move from their roles as fundraising presidents to patrons.

Speaking to the Daily Echo at his Hampshire home, David said: “I remember when George was in Great Ormond Street, I went to see him and that was the moment it brings it all home to you. There were so many wires attached to this tiny little baby.

“You don’t need to see that, but it certainly helps to see the trauma every patient goes through. Seeing that made this an easy project to want to help and do something to help it along.

“While David and Bee run clinical studies, trying to outwit yeast for new and improved treatments, Thorunn and I do what we can to help with the fund raising so that their work can continue.

“It’s vital to make sure people are still aware that work is still being done and still needs funding. It’s very easy sometimes to slip under the radar, whoever you are.

“And it’s so important that when work continues that we try and maintain levels of support for them, because without it, their work stops.”

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the charity, based at Southampton General Hospital, which was founded by Dr David and Bee Flavell following a cruel twist of fate.

In 1989 their world was turned upside down when their eight-yearold son Simon was diagnosed with the same form of aggressive leukaemia they had spent their working life researching and making antibodies to fight.

Just one year later Simon tragically lost his battle against the disease.

But inspired by their son, David and Bee committed their work to finding a cure for all forms of the killer cancer.

Ever since, Leukaemia Busters has been relentless in its mission to find and carry out research focused on providing antibody- based treatments for patients, in the Simon Flavell Leukaemia Research Lab, largely funded by Daily Echo readers.

Clinical research spearheaded by the couple over the years in this lab at Southampton General Hospital has led to new and exciting discoveries that are now beginning to offer new hope for patients in the future.

Survival rates have improved by up to 30 per cent for youngsters and adults, but the aim now is to increase that further – and more importantly make treatment safer and more effective.

At the moment patients must endure hours of chemotherapy that can result in long-term side-effects, including heart disease.

David said: “We will work until, hopefully, there is a 100 per cent cure rate. At the moment treatment for the disease is a blunderbus approach, with the chemotherapy damaging everything it comes into contact with, causing long-term side effects, such as heart disease.

“The antibody therapy, on the other hand, focuses on and targets the leukaemia cells without attacking healthy parts of the body. That is why our research is so important.

“We are focused on getting this next generation of treatment ready and making it more effective and safer than ever.

“There is definitely cause for hope in achieving the ultimate goal with this research. Clinical trials have proved positive.

“Our goal now is to take these treatments through rigorous testing, to enable clinical trials that ultimately lead to safe and more effective treatments being available to every patient, young and old alike.

“Being this close means it’s more important than ever to keep things going in the labs. We can only do that with support from the public.

“David and Thorunn have been amazing. They are the most genuine, generous people we have ever met. They have been an absolutely brilliant support for the charity and we are entirely grateful.

“As we are to everyone who has and continues to support our work.”