Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision funds 1st research project

It is with a great amount of pride that we share the news that Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision (MRV) has announced the funding of their first research project.

MRV (a collaboration between the Snowdome Foundation and Maddie Riewoldt’s family) aims to advance research for Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes (BMFS) and is dedicated to improving awareness and understanding of blood diseases. After Maddie lost her fight against Aplastic Anaemia in February 2015, the Riewoldt family established MRV to continue her vision to find a cure for these under-researched diseases which affect approximately 140 Australians each year.

Donations from corporate sponsorship, community club and school events, individuals, the generous AFL community and Snowdome has seen an amazing $750,000 raised in just four months to support MRV’s mission. The large contribution from Maddie’s Match between St Kilda and Richmond (an incredible $314,000) provided the impetus to approve funding for immediate research needs.

This first research project will support the ongoing operations and expansion of the only National Aplastic Anaemia Registry (AAR) in the world. An initial research grant of $80,000, with a potential of a further $160,000 over three years, has been approved to support AAR. This is a significant milestone in evaluating almost every diagnosis of Aplastic Anaemia in Australia supports researchers to share data across all treatment facilities nationally.

Prof David Ritchie, Maddie’s bone marrow transplant doctor, Head of the Bone Marrow Transplant Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Chair of the MRV Grants Committee said “This is the first grant in an exciting plan for many research initiatives that we aim to support. Maddie saw beyond her own situation and was determined, no matter what her own outcome was to be, to help others through raising awareness and supporting research. We are delighted that so many others have joined us in helping make Maddie’s vision start to become a reality.”

For the full release, go to http://mrv.org.au/2015/10/14/aar-announcement/ .

For more information about MRV and Snowdome’s partnership, go to https://www.snowdome.org.au/maddie-riewoldts-vision/