According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics an average five children die in Australia each and every day. Approximately one third of these children are lost during the perinatal period (five months before and one month after birth). Another third are lost to tragic accidents that include drowning, poisoning and abuse while the remaining third succumb to diseases such as cancer, blood and breathing disorders.

Every day more than a dozen families around Australia are presented with the shocking news that their child is engaged in a battle with a life-threatening condition such as cancer. From that moment on their world is turned upside down and life is never quite the same. Friends and family may be sympathetic, but rarely comprehend the full extent of the emotional impact that this not only has on the ill child, but also on parents, siblings and friends of children struck by any life-threatening condition.

The financial impact on families can also be devastating as well as embarrassing - particularly if parents are self-employed, or employers are not compassionate. Some parents are even dismissed from employment at the time they most need it. Most are unable to find alternative employment because prospective employers are usually quite reluctant to hire people facing these types of personal life challenges.

We cannot eliminate the severe anguish of having a desperately ill child, but we can provide practical life support to these families and this is one of our primary objectives. We are also preparing to launch one of the most comprehensive lifetsyle research initiatives that aims to join the dots in an effort to identify the most likely causes of the terrible illnesses that strike so many of our children each year and for which all too often there are simply no explanations.

Your support is both needed and greatly appreciated.