We are delighted to launch the 2023 INTO Members’ Fundraising Draw in aid of the Children’s Health Foundation (formally the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation at Crumlin Hospital).

We ask you to please purchase a ticket which cost €10 each or make a donation of your choice.
Proceeds from the draw will go towards the final year of the 3-year research project into sickle cell disease.

About Sickle Cell Disease
Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are highly susceptible to painful crises such as anaemia and stroke. Unfortunately, there is currently a limited understanding of the molecular events that contribute to these vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) in SCD patients. In developing countries, half of children with SCD die before reaching five years of age and less than 10% actually survive to adulthood. Even in developed countries, SCD continues to be associated with significant paediatric morbidity. SCD is so-named because abnormal haemoglobin – the protein that transports oxygen in the blood – causes red blood cells to become rigid, sticky and shaped like sickles. These atypical cells have a shorter life span and get stuck in blood vessels, slowing or blocking blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body. Pain crises are a clinical hallmark of the condition and can be excruciating, often requiring emergency department attendance. Serious complications include stroke and other organ damage, but treatment advances have improved life expectancy. As people with SCD are vulnerable to infections, Covid-19 presents an additional concern. While there are a number of effective approaches to treating the impact of SCD, such as transfusions, continued research is crucial to find novel approaches that can enhance care of children with SCD by understanding how it develops in patients at a molecular level. The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of the anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory protein C (PC) pathway in controlling SCD pathophysiology. It will determine whether PC pathway function is impaired in individuals with SCD in steady state, acute crises and in response to hydroxyurea (used to reduce the frequency of painful crises in patients). Furthermore, its aim is to investigate whether activated PC (APC) can mitigate many of the molecular events that contribute to SCD VOC. Ultimately, this study will assess the potential utility of APC and APC variants tailored to exhibit maximal therapeutic benefit for adjunctive treatment of SCD-associated vasculopathy

A word from the Children’s Health Foundation
Healthcare services and the needs of patients are continuously evolving, and in order to best serve these children, we must continue to invest in our facilities and programmes. All CHI Hospitals are committed to providing the best possible care to patients and their families and the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) works to ensure that they have the funds they need to do this. We make sure that every child coming into CHI has the very best chance. On behalf of the CHF, we thank you..

Please note this draw is limited to INTO members. If you have any queries, please contact Georgina Glackin at [email protected]
This draw is operated by INTO and adheres to General Data Protection Regulations, your personal data will not be shared with third parties and will be deleted following the draw closing date. Please support the Children’s Health Foundation and make a real difference to the lives of sick children and their families in Ireland.