Alessia, 6

Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy through the newborn screening test, her parents were told that children left untreated would die by the age of two.
In a trial of new gene therapy, one injection effectively cured Alessia.
Without research, there would not have been a trial for Alessia to take part in, which is why supporting fundraising for Children’s Medical Research Institute is so important.

Ollie as seemingly heathy when he complained to his mum about hearing problems, dizziness, headaches, and double vision. Scans found that he had a tumour in his skull, and he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Ollie’s family moved to Sydney to live near the hospital for nearly two years, where he underwent 67 rounds of chemotherapy and 32 rounds of radiotherapy before going into remission.
Without cancer research prior to Ollie’s diagnosis, he might not be here today.

Sophie was born early and very small and struggled to put on weight. After a heel prick test, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) and now does daily physiotherapy, takes dozens of supplements, and works hard to avoid simple illnesses like a common cold.
Treatment has come a long way with most children with CF able to take daily medication, but a cure is the goal. The team at CMRI is working on a gene therapy for CF which would mean one injection to correct genetic error.
Any support can contribute to the team’s effort to help kids like Sophie.