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You’re making new hope possible

For families of children and teenagers who have relapsed with blood cancer, hope is everything.

It can be the force that keeps them going when facing the daunting challenge of ‘going through it all again.’

Excitingly, your generosity is funding a new trial that’s offering this critical hope to families impacted by childhood and teenage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Giving second chances

After years of dedicated research and new targeted treatments, the outlook for children and young adults with ALL is improving with more than 80 percent now cured.

But for up to 20 percent of families, their lives will turn upside down with the devastating news of a relapse. Heartbreakingly, children and teenagers who relapse multiple times are simply running out of options.

Your support is working hard towards changing this – so that every child with blood cancer survives.

Promising research

Enter RAVEN, an innovative clinical trial that is harnessing the power of international collaboration to deliver better outcomes for children and teenagers who have relapsed with ALL. The trial is examining the effectiveness of combining two drugs, venetoclax and navitoclax.

Developed by St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the U.S., preliminary trials combining these drugs have shown promising results. Now, through RAVEN, Australian hospitals are working together to offer a desperately needed new treatment for children who no longer respond to current treatments.

Hope across Australia

Thanks to co-funding by the Leukaemia Foundation and Snowdome Foundation, the first Australian patients are set to be recruited by the end of the year.

 

Dr Michael Osborn
Dr Michael Osborn

“If it’s shown to be effective, it will offer potential treatments for patients who’ve run out of other options.”
– Dr Michael Osborn, principal investigator for the Australia & New Zealand RAVEN Trial Team

An absolute lifeline

Oren is 15 and has been in remission since February 2020, after being diagnosed with ALL.

“Being told your child has ALL is an incredible shock, and from that moment on, you’re totally focused on getting rid of it – you just want your child back. During Oren’s treatment we met parents of children that had relapsed and were running out of options, so we know trials like this are an absolute lifeline – they give parents hope when it’s needed most.”
– Fiona Snell, Oren’s mum

Read his full story here

Thank you

To find out your child has blood cancer once is devastating. But to hear that news again is heart-breaking. Your generosity is making an incredible difference for families who need options, who deserve a second chance. Thank you so much!

A smiling young boy sitting in hospital with his parents, next to a photo of the same boy after treatment
Oren with his parents in hospital, during treatment (left); Oren, now 15 and in remission (right)

Last updated on February 7th, 2023

Developed by the Leukaemia Foundation in consultation with people living with a blood cancer, Leukaemia Foundation support staff, haematology nursing staff and/or Australian clinical haematologists. This content is provided for information purposes only and we urge you to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis, treatment and answers to your medical questions, including the suitability of a particular therapy, service, product or treatment in your circumstances. The Leukaemia Foundation shall not bear any liability for any person relying on the materials contained on this website.