AFL superstars Jack and Nick Riewoldt lead the charge in finding a cure for bone marrow failure syndrome
Jack and Nick Riewoldt are eyeing off a million-dollar boost for Maddie’s Vision in the fight against an aggressive genetic condition.
South East
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High-flying duo Jack and Nick Riewoldt are kicking goals off the field as they continue to raise much-needed money to fight an aggressive genetic condition.
Former St Kilda skipper, Nick, lost his sister Maddie in 2015, and, with cousin Jack, has been involved in helping Maddie’s Vision raise more than $10 million in just six years for research into Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
The pair’s latest target is aiming to raise over a million dollars for a clinical trial into gene therapy.
With the help of Fairhaven Homes, a property in Clyde North will be auctioned off next month to finance the clinical trial, set to be the first of its kind in Australia.
Nick has spoken of the “heartwarming” response for the cause.
“It’s incredible really, because being involved really closely in not for profit, you develop a fair appreciation for how hard it is, and for Fairhaven to be so generous knowing the impact it will have on a community of people that we’ve dealt really closely with since my sister passed away, it’s really significant”, he said.
Jack said the experience with Maddie’s Vision has been “humbling”, and is excited for the journey ahead.
“From the donation side of things, we are extremely humbled by it. But also someone is going to purchase a fantastic home in a new area, and start their journey with something new that is forever connected to Maddie’s Vision,” he said.
“They’ve helped us, and obviously our main goal is giving our research and development team the best opportunity of finding that cure.”
Nick said the small, “energised and determined” team at Maddie’s Vision has taken great steps in Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome research, and this auction will provide the next level of discovery for them.
“Initially there was a lot of low hanging fruit for us to target our research dollars towards, because there wasn’t a lot being done in the space, but as it’s grown and evolved and more information has come to light, we’ve looked at more tangible stuff, like clinical trials and work in genomics,” he said.
“Our mission has always been to improve the outcomes and treatments for people suffering bone marrow failure syndrome, this will do that.”
The Fairhaven Homes property at 80 Athenaeum Ave is a fully furnished, four-bedroom house in new Orana Estate, and will be auctioned off on March 26