Retinoblastoma is highly curable, and 98% of children survive in Canada. Globally, 80% of children die due to lack of awareness and poor access to timely, appropriate medical care in developing countries.
Around the world, 85% of children who survive lose one eye, and 5% have both eyes removed. Most children whose eyes are saved suffer severe, irreversible loss of vision.
Our Mission
Lives and sight will be saved by increasing awareness, access to existing treatments and family support. We are committed to bringing the promise of life and sight to every child with retinoblastoma, and ending needless suffering from this cancer. We do this by:
• Educating the public and primary health workers
about retinoblastoma to achieve early diagnosis and
rapid referral to specialist care;
• Empowering the medical community to deliver
sustainable high quality evidence-based care that
gives each child the best possible opportunities;
• Enabling family support programs that reduce
practical, emotional, financial and social burdens
and improve access to essential care.
We encourage the international retinoblastoma community, imaging industry, health care policymakers, researchers and global citizens to help us ensure that the rights of every child with retinoblastoma and their family are protected, and that no child suffers needlessly because of this highly curable cancer.
Our History
Daisy’s Eye Cancer Fund is named in honour of a brave young girl from southern England who came to Toronto for specialist treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Daisy’s parents established The Daisy Fund to raise funds for the treatment and 16month stay in Canada.
In September 2004, another little girl came to SickKids for retinoblastoma treatment. Gorata (Rati) suffered a serious recurrence of her cancer due to delayed and incomplete care in Africa. Daisy’s family donated money from her fund to cover travel and initial treatment costs.
We established Daisy's Eye Cancer Fund at this point as a special fund at SickKids Foundation (and charity in England,) to raise funds for Rati's medical care.
Our mission has now evolved far beyond the needs of one child, as we aspire to bring the promise of life and sight to every child with eye cancer.
Our Activities
We are building sustainable local capacity to provide the best possible care for children around the world, particularly in less economically developed countries.
In September 2006, we launched "Rati's Challenge" to address the needs of families affected by retinoblastoma in Africa. The Kenya National Retinoblastoma Strategy was launched through this program in September 2008, and it remains our priority today. This program has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and has received high praise from doctors across Canada.
We work in full collaboration with DECF UK and DECF Kenya. Much of our fundraising and administration is handled by the international office in England.
SickKids Foundation Charitable Business Number: 10808-4419- RR0001 |
