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10am Thursday 6 December

The Candis Big Give Christmas Challenge

Rachel’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed
with MS when just 14 years old

The Candis Big Give Christmas Challenge kicks off on Thursday this week – please don’t forget to put the date in your diary and have your donation doubled!

Action Medical Research is pleased to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from The Christmas Challenge for the second time.

The Challenge offers you the opportunity to have your gift doubled if you donate online at the Big Give website between 6-8 December from 10am each day – remember its first come first matched!

We are aiming to raise £12,000 to research MS in childhood, which will then be doubled up to £24,000 - but we need your help to achieve this.

To find out more about the Big Give and how the challenge works, please visit the challenge page on our website, or email the fundraising team.

Your gift could make a real difference.

Help children like Joshua with a precious gift this Christmas

"Joshua is looking forward to riding
his first bike this Christmas and eating
Christmas dinner."

Joshua May was born 15 weeks too early. He survived the birth, unlike his twin Harry who died at 20 hours old.

But Joshua then became dangerously ill at just eight days old. Doctors thought it might be necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), but couldn’t be sure. This serious bowel disorder affects around 3,000 babies every year – and because it is difficult to detect up to 35 per cent of these babies die.

Every moment Joshua’s diagnosis was delayed meant a delay in receiving the right treatment. As Joshua’s parent’s watched him suffer, they couldn’t bear the thought of losing their second son.

Action Medical Research is determined that situations like this must change.

But we urgently need your help. A gift of £25 from you this Christmas could make a real difference.
Thankfully Joshua survived and will be enjoying his fourth Christmas with his parents this year. You could help us fund researchers to find the answers that could help save babies’ lives and end the suffering of families like the Mays.

Thank you and Happy Christmas.

Champions of CycleSport celebrates a golden year for cycling

What a fantastic turnout we had at our third annual cycling event, Champions of CycleSport Dinner in London last Thursday. Supported by UK’s No.1 online cycle and tri-sport retailer, Wiggle it certainly was a night to remember as our 650 guests were joined by some of the biggest names in cycling - Chris Boardman MBE, Dave Brailsford CBE, Joanna Rowsell, Rochelle Gilmore, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Jody Cundy and Rob Hayles.

Guests celebrated a golden year of cycling with the chance to mingle with their heroes and the event raised an incredible £180,000 which will help fund vital medical research for sick babies and children. Children like:

• Katie, who was born two months early and needed resuscitating at birth
• Cieran, who was left with deafness, epilepsy and cerebral palsy because of meningitis
• Jack who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 14 months old.

Sky TV’s Dermot Murnaghan, also a keen cyclist who’s taken part in several of our bike rides, took time out of his busy schedule to interview the cycling champions. Joanna Rowsell, our Cycling Ambassador, said: “What a great year for cycling! The Champions of CycleSport Dinner was a true celebration of this. I’m really excited to be Cycling Ambassador for such a worthwhile charity and one that is so passionate about cycling.”

Joanna Rowsell

 Read the full story of 'Champions of CycleSport celebrates a golden year for cycling' on the Action Medical Research blog.

50 years of hip surgery

Sir John Charnley created the hip replacement

Exactly 50 years ago, a British surgeon called John Charnley developed a technique that revolutionised hip replacement operations.

Later he was knighted for his efforts - and the work of the man now known as Sir John Charnley has since become the standard procedure.

It is an operation that has been carried out on patients across the world.

And it all started half a century ago in a small hospital in Lancashire.

Read the full BBC report and watch the video.

Action Medical Research helped Sir John establish a clinical research centre for hip surgery where his revolutionary work was carried out. The charity has continued to support many other projects over the years to further develop and refine the hip replacement procedure.

Gift voucher – why not buy a loved one a bike ride this Christmas

Do you have a cyclist in your life? Why not buy them a bike ride this Christmas?

If you're stuck for gift ideas why not buy your loved one a bike ride this Christmas and help sick babies and children at the same time.

Just £50 will buy a place on one of our RIDE 100 bike rides which take place across the UK.

Get your Gift voucher online

H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, hosts charity’s 60th anniversary reception at Buckingham Palace

A group of esteemed researchers will share their vital work with His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh - Patron of children’s charity Action Medical Research, at a special reception at Buckingham Palace on the evening of Monday 15 October.

The Diamond Anniversary Reception will be held in a one of the State Rooms at the Palace and will celebrate the children’s charity’s 60th anniversary.

Representatives from the charity will include Mr Richard Price – Chairman, Field Marshal The Lord Guthrie GCB LVO OBE DL – President and Trustees.

Researchers from six projects currently being funded by the charity will present their work to The Duke of Edinburgh and more than 100 assembled guests.

Their work will include: studies into the cause of brain cancer in children; resuscitation of newborn babies; developing a vaccine for meningitis B; epilepsy in children; bowel problems in newborn babies; and multiple sclerosis among children.

Richard Price, Chairman of Action Medical Research, says: “We are honoured that Action Medical Research’s patron His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh is hosting this reception to celebrate our 60th anniversary.

“It’s a wonderful way to mark this proud milestone and showcase to guests some of the fantastic research that we are currently funding across the UK to save and change the lives of babies and children.”

This year Action Medical Research celebrates 60 years of vital research. The charity is currently supporting work around Down syndrome, meningitis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, premature birth and some very rare conditions that severely affect children.

For more information on the Diamond Anniversary Reception please visit www.action.org.uk/palace2012

Help us save the lives of more vulnerable babies like Scarlett

"The first few weeks with a new baby are meant to be the happiest time of your lives, but we went through hell.
I had to avoid surprising Scarlett or touching her too much. I couldn’t even breastfeed my daughter, her nose and mouth were so sensitive, touching them would trigger convulsions."
Abbie, Scarlett's mother.

Scarlett from Grimsby (pictured here) is one of those gorgeous babies you just want to hug. But a hug in the first few weeks of life could have proved fatal to her because she was born with a rare brain disorder called hyperekplexia or startle disease.

If Scarlett is startled by noises or touch she reacts in an exaggerated way becoming rigid or unable to move. Sometimes she’ll stop breathing – so it could be fatal.

Very little is known about startle disease, so it took doctors two weeks to diagnose Scarlett. During that time, her life was in terrible danger. A delay in diagnosis can lead to a baby not receiving the best care – potentially putting their lives at risk.

Right now, Action Medical Research is supporting researchers in London and Swansea who are looking for more changes in genes that cause startle disease.

An early diagnosis for children with this rare disease can increase a child’s chances of survival. Will you help us find the answers?

Donate £25 online today

Christmas Card sales going well

 

Sales on Christmas cards on the action.org.uk website are going well with our holiday nuts being snatched quickly.

Buy your Christmas cards from Action Medical Research.

Ordering your Christmas cards from Action Medical Research helps fund vital research to help sick babies, children with disabilities and those suffering from a rare disease.

Grab your chance to Dine with Davina McCall

Action Medical Research is proud to present Dine with Davina – sponsored by NEXT on Friday 9 November 2012 at the Grand Harbour Hotel.

To help celebrate our 60th anniversary we would like to invite ladies to enjoy a special luncheon hosted by Davina McCall.

Davina says: ''I'm very excited to be hosting the sixth Dine with Davina and can't believe we have already raised over £165,000 to help support Action Medical Research - a charity very close to my heart. Ladies who are thinking about coming along, I promise you will love this event - there is lots of laughter, chat and always brilliant entertainment.
I do hope you will be able to join us!''

Haverhill Action Medical Research Halloween Dinner and Dance - 27 October 2012

You are invited to the Haverhill Action Medical Research Halloween Dinner and Dance at Wickhambrook Memorial Social Centre.

Date/time: Saturday 27 October 2012, 7:00pm for 7.30pm prompt

• Dancing to local band - The Process
• Black Tie or Fancy Dress
• Carriages at midnight
• Raffle and Bar

Tickets £50 from Mrs Joan Ford on 01440 730577 or Mrs G Argent - johnargent@hotmail.com