RedSeptember Campaign 2026 – Closing Event

A former international tennis player, world No. 9 and Olympic medalist at the Sydney Games, Dominique Monami is now a professional speaker and coach in the corporate and sports worlds. She is also Vice-President of the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC) and Chair of its “Gender Equity, Diversity & Inclusion” Commission.

Ann De Becker is Head of the Hematology Department and Cellular Therapy Program at the University Hospital UZ Brussel and professor of Hematology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. She focuses on apheresis, cellular therapy and acute leukaemia in daily clinical practice. She is currently the chair of the Acute Leukaemia Committee of the Belgian Hematology Society. She is a member of national and international Hematology associations. Her research interests are in the fields of cellular therapy and mesenchymal stromal cells.

Magali Mertens is a certified career coach and disability manager (Brussels), specialising in the professional reintegration of people following long-term illness, as well as skills assessments. She has held INAMI accreditation in disability management since 2019 and supports employees, organisations and HR professionals through complex return-to-work processes.

In 2017, she founded Travail & Cancer (www.travailetcancer.org), a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting people affected by cancer in their return to employment. She also co-created the Ability First platform, which provides tools and resources for professionals involved in reintegration processes (see www.abilityfirst.eu).

The author of three books on resilience and returning to work after illness, one of which focuses specifically on cancer, she also co-authored a book on managing absenteeism in the workplace.

She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Communication from UCLouvain.

Lucie Dufresne de Virel is an Oncology/Hematology Nurse with over 10 years of experience, having worked in both inpatient and day hospital settings.

She currently holds a part-time role as a referent for Adolescents and Young Adults, and another part-time position in the post-cancer care pathway.

Passionate and driven, Lucie is fully committed to projects that enhance patient support, care coordination, and quality of life. She thrives on turning ideas into action, building tangible initiatives, and helping to evolve practices for the better.

At the heart of her work is the patient—their feedback, experiences, and the real-world impact of her efforts are what give her professional commitment its deepest meaning.

After her experience, Anaïs Buisseret is dedicated to supporting individuals before, during, and after treatment for blood cancers. She can more easily understand their challenges and provide the motivation they need.

Hélène Schoemans is a full staff member of the hematology department and bone marrow transplant unit at the Gasthuisberg campus of the University Hospitals of Leuven, Belgium since 2010. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at KU Leuven since 2020, where she teaches the basics of clinical exam, patient reported outcomes (PRO) and leadership.

Prof. Schoemans completed her training as a Medical Doctor in 2001 at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) and became a board certified hematologist in 2009. She defended her PhD thesis titled "Rethinking Care after Cure in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation using e-Health and patient reported outcomes" in 2019 at KU Leuven. She also gathered expertise through international internships at the Université de Montréal (Canada) in 2000, the University of Minnesota (USA) in 2005 and the National Institutes of Health (USA) in 2015.

Her research and clinical interests include graft versus host disease (GVHD), eHealth, survivorship issues, quality of life (QoL), integrated care models and patient participation in research. 
 

Working as a Clinical Psychologist at the Oncology Center of UZ Brussel since 2019.

Her primary client group consists of hematology patients, both during and after treatment, in inpatient and outpatient settings.

She also provides psychological support to family members and loved ones, including after a death (grief counseling).

She serves in an advisory role regarding end-of-life issues as a member of the Palliative Support Team.

Lindsey De Grande holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, specializing in relaxation, stress, and trauma therapy. As a former Belgian record holder in the indoor 1500 metres and sixth-place finisher at the 2011 European Athletics Championships, she was well on her way to achieving her Olympic dream. However, just a few months later, at the age of 22, she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

After years of treatment involving significant side effects and lasting long-term consequences, Lindsey combines her professional expertise with her personal experience as a cancer survivor. This unique perspective enables her to shed light on the physical, mental, and psychosocial impact of cancer and survivorship from two perspectives: that of a healthcare professional and that of someone who has personally undergone cancer treatment.

She is committed to raising awareness of quality of life during and after cancer, the importance of resilience and recovery, and the lasting impact that cancer can have on both patients and the people around them, including family and loved ones.