Global MPN Stands with Young Patients at “Secret Garden of Hematology, young edition”
Bydgoszcz hosts an international meeting dedicated to hematology in children, adolescents and young adults. Global MPN Scientific Foundation supports the conference as an Honorary Patron and brings the patient voice to the meeting through Simon Bevis.
On September 25 and 26, 2026, the Polish city of Bydgoszcz brought together specialists from Poland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain for the second international edition of “Secret Garden of Hematology, young edition.”
Organized by the Department and Clinic of Hematology at Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, together with the Department of Hematology at J. Biziel University Hospital No. 2 in Bydgoszcz, the meeting focused on the specific diagnostic and therapeutic challenges faced by younger people living with hematological diseases.
Global MPN Scientific Foundation joined the initiative as an Honorary Patron, supporting a meeting that reflects one of our own priorities: ensuring that the needs of people living with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are heard at every age and every stage of life.
MPNs in young patients from the very beginning
The scientific program opened with three consecutive sessions specifically dedicated to MPNs in children, adolescents and young adults.
Topics included treatment approaches for younger patients, diagnosis, JAK2 and CALR mutations, transplantation in children and adolescents with myelofibrosis, the potential role of artificial intelligence in hematology, and the relationship between MPNs and the ageing process.
The fact that an international hematology conference opened its program by focusing on young people with MPN is significant.
Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic and rare disease during adolescence or early adulthood brings different questions and needs from those experienced at other stages of life.
Those questions deserve their own space.
Pregnancy, fertility and life plans
One of the sessions particularly relevant to younger patients focused on pregnancy and fertility in oncohematology.
The program included the management of pregnancy in women living with MPN, thrombotic and bleeding complications during pregnancy, and the potential impact of hematological treatment on male fertility.
For a young person, living with an MPN is not only about medical appointments, symptoms or treatment. It is also about making decisions around education, work, relationships, parenthood and future plans. Bringing these topics into scientific meetings helps place quality of life alongside clinical outcomes.
Simon Bevis: bringing the AYA patient voice
Global MPN's presence in Bydgoszcz also had an especially important purpose: bringing the perspective of people who live with an MPN into the scientific conversation.
Simon Bevis represented young patients from the Global MPN community.
As he travelled to Poland, Simon shared:
“Having a rare condition and being in a minority age group for it can feel isolating at times. Through events like this it is fantastic to meet other AYA patients, share our experiences and build community.”
For Simon, the meeting was also an opportunity to hear directly from physicians about advances in treatment and about ways to maximize quality of life for younger patients.
At Global MPN, we believe that including the patient voice in scientific forums is essential. Medical progress has its greatest meaning when it also responds to the needs, priorities and decisions that shape people's everyday lives.
Why being here matters
AYA patients, adolescents and young adults, receive their diagnosis at a stage of life filled with decisions and plans for the future.
That is why Global MPN continues to work to:
Increase visibility of the specific needs of younger people living with MPN.
Build bridges between patients, researchers and healthcare professionals.
Support care that considers quality of life and personal goals.
Help patients access the information they need to take an active role in decisions about their health.
Our Honorary Patronage of “Secret Garden of Hematology, young edition” and Simon Bevis's participation are another step in that commitment. Living with an MPN at a young age may be uncommon. But no one should have to feel alone because of it.
Stay connected with the international community
If you would like to continue learning and connecting with others living with MPN, we invite you to explore the initiatives of Global MPN.
📰 Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about research, webinars and community resources.
📝 Register for MPN Journal, a free tool created by patients for patients to track symptoms, treatments and experiences.https://mpn-journal.com
🌿 Explore the Wellbeing Project and discover activities designed to support quality of life.https://www.globalmpn.org/wellbeing-project
Together, we can help make reliable information more accessible to people living with MPN and their families.
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