INTO fundraising draw closes Wednesday

This is the the last week to buy tickets for the INTO annual draw in aid of the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) which has a top prize of €10,000. The last day for entry is Wednesday, 15 June. The draw takes place the following day

Proceeds from the draw in aid of the CHF (formerly the Children’s Medical and Research Foundation at Crumlin Hospital) will go towards year 2 of a 3-year research project into Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Tickets are available to purchase here. Members can purchase one ticket for €10 or three tickets for €20.

The option to choose your own donation amount is also available to members and non-members here.

The final date to enter the 2022 INTO Members’ Fundraising Draw is Wednesday 15 June 2022. The winner of the draw will be announced on Thursday 16 June at the CEC meeting.

The prize fund totals €20,000 and the prizes are as follows:

  • 1st Prize – €10,000
  • 2nd Prize – €3,000
  • 3rd Prize – €1,500
  • 4th Prize – €1,500
  • 5th Prize – €1,000
  • 6th Prize – €1,000
  • 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th Prizes – €500

About Sickle Cell Disease

Children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) are highly susceptible to medical crises such as anaemia and stroke. There is limited understanding of the molecular events that cause this.

SCD involves abnormal haemoglobin – the protein that transports oxygen in the blood – causing red blood cells to become rigid, sticky and shaped like sickles. These atypical cells have a shorter lifespan and get stuck in blood vessels, slowing or blocking blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body.

Pain crises are a strong feature of the condition and can be excruciating, often requiring emergency department attendance. Serious complications include organ damage, but treatment advances have improved life expectancy.

While there are a number of effective approaches to treating the SCD, continued research is crucial to finding approaches that can enhance care of children with the disease.

In developing countries, half of children with SCD die before reaching five years of age and less than 10 per cent survive to adulthood. Even in developed countries, SCD continues to be associated with significant ill-health among children and adolescents.