WA’S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE KIDS CANCER CENTRE
Left-right: UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak, CAHS Chief Executive Valerie Jovanovic, Minister for Health Amber Jade Sanderson, PCH Haematology and Oncology Consultant and Cancer Centre Clinical Lead Professor Nick Gottardo, Stan Perron Charitable Foundation Executive Chair Elizabeth Perron, Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson, Cancer Centre Scientific Lead Joost Lesterhuis, The Kids Executive Director Jonathan Carapetis, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Carrick Robinson
The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation is proud to announce its largest-ever single donation to allow the establishment of WA’s first Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre.
The Foundation will contribute $135.5 million over the next decade to the multi-partner collaboration, which will build on the significant work already being undertaken by Perth Children’s Hospital and The Kids Research Institute Australia (formerly Telethon Kids).
Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (PCHF) will also make a multi-million-dollar contribution over the next five years with an option to extend, and The University of Western Australia will add up to $9 million to help improve the lives of kids impacted by cancer in WA and across the globe.
Chair of the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, Elizabeth Perron, said the intent and objectives of the Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre aligned perfectly with the intent of the Foundation established by her father.
“The Foundation’s guiding principles for giving expressly target any activity that improves the health and wellbeing of children in Western Australia.
“While the funding is significant, like all projects funded by the Foundation, we are concerned less by the amount of money donated and primarily by the impact of the activity on the lives of children.” Ms Perron said.
“Our vision is for all kids with cancer to survive and thrive.” — Professor Nick Gottardo
Professor Nick Gottardo, head of the Oncology and Haematology Department at PCH, said in the past 70 years, only 50 new drugs had been approved to treat paediatric cancers, whereas for adults 60 cancer drugs were approved every year.
“Current treatments for kids cancer cause severe and often life-long side effects including problems with emotions, reproduction, growth, development, hormones, learning, memory problems, heart, lung, digestive system, hearing, vision and most strikingly, can cause secondary cancers,” Professor Gottardo said.
“This amazing donation will give us the chance to build on the world-leading research we are already undertaking and ensure kids in WA can be treated right here in WA.
“It will mean that kids with cancer will have access to the best treatment options without needing to leave the State and kids diagnosed with cancer in the future will benefit from transformative discovery research.
“It will advance our pre-clinical discovery pipeline to significantly improve outcomes for kids yet to be diagnosed with cancer, to discover more effective and less toxic treatments that will be adopted worldwide and to improve the lives of kids impacted by cancer globally.
Visit The Kids Research Institute Australia to read more.
Published: 23 August 2024