The Kids’ Cancer Project was motivated by a single man who pledged to get the childhood cancer cure. Col Reynolds is the founder of The Kids’ Cancer Project in 1993, a national charity, when he came to know that research was the only option for helping children having cancer. At present, The Kids’ Cancer Project is among the largest sponsors of research into childhood cancer in Australia. Currently, they are giving support to 11 projects going on at 11 prestigious research organizations throughout Australia.
The Project is not aligned to one institution and is independent. The Kids’ Cancer Project supports collaborative research and which has the highest likelihood of clinical success. Credit to the bighearted community support they have been able to invest $24 million into research into childhood cancer since 2007.
The Project assists families in making sense of treatments and available options to aid their child, owing to its unique access to researchers and clinicians globally.
The situation of cancer in Australia is alarming:
- The country has one of the highest childhood cancer incidences globally.
- The leading cause of death by disease in children is childhood cancer.
- 3 children are lost each week to childhood cancer.
- On the average about 71 years of a person’s life are lost to childhood cancer.
However, despite all these the facts regarding awareness of childhood cancer is low in Australia:
- Only 20 per cent are aware that Australia has got one of the highest childhood cancer incidences in the world.
- Only 28 per cent are aware that t childhood cancer has no prevention.
- Only 32 per cent know that more Australian children are dying from cancer compared to any other type of disease.
The History
Being a former tourist coach driver, the amazing journey of Col Reynolds started in the late 80s as he was driving his coach which was ten empty past the Camperdown Children’s Hospital, located in Sydney. Subsequent to allowing 2 young kids with bald heads to safely cross the road, on a sudden prompt, he parked the coach and entered into the hospital. Deeply touched by the children’s spirit he saw that day, Col made then made it a personal mission to grant kids having cancer the worthy gift of life.
For nearly 10 years, Col gave funds and got sponsorship for day camps and trips for the kids in the oncology unit. He did the trips personally, and every couple of weeks, he faced the unavoidable heartbreak that several of the kids would pass away. When Col Reynolds realized that the only way of stopping this heartbreak was through advances in medical care he turned his enthusiasm and passion towards raising money for research into cancer of the child and in that year 1993 set up The Oncology Children’s Foundation.
20 years later, the Col’s foundation – now celebrated as The Kids' Cancer Project – has given funding to nearly $24 million dollars into childhood cancer research leading to world breakthroughs towards getting a childhood cancer cure. In 2000, Col got awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his exceptional contribution to the lives of kids having cancer. He remains committed to this great cause and is a Director who is actively involved in the charity.
The Research
The Kids’ Cancer Project aims at ending the heartbreak brought about by childhood cancer to a lot of families. This will be achieved this through the support of world-leading childhood cancer medical research.
The Project is the foremost non-institutional charity dealing with childhood cancer in Australia. That implies that they are able to support the best possible childhood cancer research taking place at the leading medical research organizations – with no geographical or institutional boundaries. The sole focus is purely childhood cancer and their history displays the success story of this unique research strategy. The funding has contributed to a number of great and important advances in treatment of childhood cancer that include:
- An innovative treatment for kids having brain tumours, which is now in its 3rd year, the globe’s first clinical trial is bringing genuine hope to kids who got some of the most lethal brain tumours.
- A new drug forcing cancer causing cells to kill themselves, with no damage to any of the healthy cells in the body. The project is aiming to commence clinical trials this year, is a ground-breaking and innovative discovery which is going to have implications for the management of all forms of cancer, both in adults and children.
- Bringing some of the most brilliant minds together in creating a joint network of researchers who are focused on tearing down the very backbone of dangerous cancer; the cell skeleton.
- A global clinical trial that encompasses 16 hospitals in the USA and Australia working towards improving outcomes for children having neuroblastoma.
Current Ongoing Projects
- Gene Therapy Trial
- AML
- INFANT ALL Project
- DIPG
- Dfmo Clinical Trial
- C4
- Drug Discovery Project
- Adolescent and Young Adults
- Switching Genes
- Tumour Bank
- Scholarships &Awards
How to Help
Thanks to amazing medical research, in excess of 80 per cent of kids now are surviving cancer. Over the years, long strides have been made, credit to great community support and the untiring commitment of researchers and clinicians. However, a lot more work still remains to be done.
Kids who do survive cancer are exposed to developing chronic health complications from the treatment which practically saved their life. The Project aims to get more research done than previously and contribute an additional $200,000 into research that is purposely targeting the late impacts of childhood cancer.
Volunteering
At present Kids’ Cancer Project needs volunteers to assist in packing and dispatching the beautiful fundraising teddy bears at their Rosebery office each Tuesday for 2 hours between 9.30am and 11.30am.
Fundraising
Fundraising is an excellent method of showing your support for a childhood cancer cure. There are lots of ways you could fundraise; you either could take part in one of the numerous events and challenges or develop your own distinctive idea. Whatever method you decide, the dedicated events team is always available to assist in every step of the entire way.
Donating
There are many you could donate:
- Becoming a regular giver
- Becoming a corporate giver
- Making a bequest
- Organizing a fundraising campaign
- Buying the gorgeous Teddy Bears
- Buying a raffle ticket
