Vintage

'A Step Towards a Cure' Fundraising Dinner

In memory of Jeff Bray

All proceeds donated to Amyloidosis Australia Inc 

Friday 10 August 2007

7pm

West Adelaide Function Centre

57 Milner Road, Richmond   

My Father was Jeff Bray. He played football for West Adelaide between 1956-1963 and 1967-1970, in which he played 196 games and played 8 State games for South Australia. He also played 34 games for South Melbourne from 1964-1966 and was inducted into the West Adelaide Hall of Fame in August 2005.

Dad passed away in May 2006 of a rare blood related disease called 'Amyloidosis'. This disease is extremely hard to diagnose and once diagnosed it is very difficult to treat. There is no known cure for Amyloidosis and if not detected early the prognosis of survival is limited.  Dad suffered with a heart condition for over twenty years and as a result his symptoms were thought to be related to that. However, we now believe Dad had Amyloidosis for over 4 years. Dad spent nearly 6 weeks in hospital and after eliminating other possibilities, was diagnosed with Amyloidosis on 5 April  and passed away on 24 May 2006, 5 days after his 68th Birthday.

What struck us was how little information was known about this disease and how difficult it was to access practical information about it. Over 160 people are year are diagnosed with Amyloidosis in Australia, however this figure is probably greater as it normally undiagnosed.

Our Family is  planning a fundraising dinner in Memory of Dad to raise awareness and all money raised will be donated to Amyloidosis Australia Inc which provides support, advice for patients and their carers. They also provide information resources for the medical professions involved in research and treatment of Amyloidosis.

The MC for the night is 'KG' Cunningham and John Reid, Football Operations Manager, from the Adelaide Crows has kindly offered to be Guest Speaker on the night talking about 'Football in the 60's compared to the Football of today'. There will also be West Adelaide Past Players talking about their playing days in the 60's and telling a few stories from on and off the field!

Tickets are only $75 each which includes a 3 course dinner and 5 hour drink package.

If you would like to attend or require further information, please contact Karen Kelly on 0413088817, or by email: kkelly@unley.sa.gov.au.

After approaching the National Heart Foundaiton, we were invited to send 200 brochures on Cardiac Amyloidosis to the Challenges in Cardiology VII Conference, for insertion in the delegates satchels.  By doing this we hoped to inform Cardiologists and Medical Practioners about the diagnosis and management of Amyloidosis.  The brochure we sent is available for download below:

Gulf Air have agreed to sponsor an Australian doctor's airfare to the UK, to visit the National Amyloidosis Centre in London.  We are very pleased that they are helping us in our endeavours to inform the Australian medical community about Amyloidosis!

Ellen Reid with Neil Robertson from Gulf Air, at the ASX-Reuters Foundation Presentation Luncheon.

• Sadly, David Lange lost his fight with Amyloidosis & Diabetes, August 14th 2005
• http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/david-lange-dies-at-63/2005/08/14/1123353547517.html
• David Lange (former NZ PM) 'pulls doctors leg' during amputation operation for diabetes (he also had Primary Amyloidosis).
• The Age - Includes link to us!
• Doctors keen to get Lange up and walking , 23 July 2005
• 'David Lange is in a stable but "uncomfortable" condition as he begins his second week in Middlemore Hospital. However, his wife, Margaret Pope, says the 62-year-old former Labour prime minister is more alert than in previous days. .....'
• Read the whole article here:
• http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3354665a11,00.html
• '....Helen Clark (NZ Prime Minister) says it is a critical time for David Lange.  Miss Clark says she saw David Lange earlier this month, and in terms of mental fitness he was his old self; however she says everyone knows Mr Lange has a very serious illness, and this is a critical time.  Finance Minister Michael Cullen went to visit his former leader yesterday, and told the prime minister that Mr Lange wanted to talk about politics, and not about his health.   Mr Lange was prime minister from 1984 until 1989.....'
• Read the whole article here:
• http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11964-4591727,00.html 
• New Zealand Herald Article

• David Lange, ABC Foreign Correspondent Interview

Web casts (online video):

• Cardiac Amyloidosis (slides and voiceover) by Dr Rodney Falk
• Login is 'heartf', and password is 'HEARTF' (both case sensitive)
• http://www.hf-symposium.org/lpmradio.php 

• A 50 minute web cast by Dr Ray Comenzo on Amyloidosis:
• http://imedex.com/webcasts/plasmacell05/s8.html 

• A 9 minute web cast by Dr Ray Comenzo on Amyloidosis:
• http://www.cancereducation.com/cancersyspages/medprofile.cfm?MC=aahw 

• Multiple Myeloma web casts
• http://www.cancereducation.com/cancersyspages/medprofile.cfm?MC=aahq