Fanconi Canada: Funding Research and Finding a Cure
I know the blogs on this site are generally about estates-related issues, but for today’s blog I thought I’d talk about something a little different. On Sunday, April 29, many of the lawyers at this firm attended Fanconi Night in Canada, a dinner and silent auction held to raise money for Fanconi Canada, an organization committed to funding research and hopefully finding a cure for Fanconi’s Anemia.
For those of you not familiar with the disease, Fanconi’s Anemia (FA) is a common form of genetic anemia, which often leads to progressive, severe bone marrow failure. Besides the physical problems the disease causes, people who suffer it are also at an increased risk of developing leukemia and other cancers.
While the disease is equally prevalent in males and females and is found in all ethnic groups, it generally first appears in children and often occurs in the form of birth defects. Some of the more common of these include low birth weight and failure to thrive, kidney problems, developmental delays, and heart defects. The average life expectancy of someone with the disease is 22 years and many children who develop the disease do not survive to adulthood.
While research has lead to great strides being made in identifying the genes related to the disease and identifying potential treatments, there is still no cure. Hopefully fundraisers like the one we attended will help raise the funds the organization needs to continue the important work it is doing.
Have a great day!
Megan Connolly
