A generous gift from the Frederiks Foundation will help support the next generation of Australian blood cancer researchers.

Cor Frederik (1927 – 2017) was a businessman, scholar, author, investor, art collector and company director with a busy accounting practice in suburban Brisbane.

Cor was a strong, giving man with an altruistic heart. He believed in giving back to the community and the power of education.

Cor lost his wife of 15 years, Pauline, to blood cancer at just 33 years old – leaving him to raise five young children between the ages of 3-14 years old.

In 2006, he established the Frederiks Foundation, and when he passed away in 2017 his children came together to honour his lifelong ethos to give generously.

The family has dedicated $530,000 to the Leukaemia Foundation’s Research Endowment to support PhD Scholarships in support of Australia’s brightest blood cancer minds.

A Leukaemia Foundation spokesperson said the gift is an extraordinary investment in the future of blood cancer research in Australia:

“This support will give early career researchers the encouragement, resources and networks to generate new ideas and approaches for tackling blood cancers.

“These scholarships are an important part of our National Research Program and will be delivered in partnership with the peak body for haematology researchers and medical professionals.”

Cor’s son, Paul Frederiks, said his father would be proud to see the money invested with a cause so close to his family’s heart.

“Dad was incredibly hardworking and never stopped learning – he worked and studied right up until his death. He truly believed in the power of education, and we wanted to honour that with this gift,” Paul said.

“Losing our mother to blood cancer at such a young age had a profound impact on all of us kids – it changed so much in our lives then and definitely influenced how we grew up and who we became.

“Supporting the Leukaemia Foundation is ensuring our Mum’s legacy and supporting the training and education of blood cancer researchers is ensuring our Dad’s.

“If the advances in research we have seen in the last 30 years were around when Mum was diagnosed, maybe she would have lived longer. I think Dad would have been very proud of our decision to support this worthy cause.”