We have experienced phenomenal growth since our inception at the end of 2015. We are approaching £3 million of total fundraising and have funded a fantastic range of rhabdomyosarcoma research projects.
The launch of the Arcs in 2021 has substantially accelerated the level of funds raised over the last few years. This has meant we’ve been able to commit to funding 8 rhabdomyosarcoma research projects across leading UK institutions including the ICR, University of Birmingham, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Wellcome Sanger and the University of York.
We now have 17 Arcs (more to come!) across England and Northern Ireland. We believe pooling funds and engaging multiple families in our rhabdomyosarcoma community is the key to accelerating research and to creating a long-term, sustainable platform.
It has been really motivating to hear positive feedback about the charity from families outside the UK. In particular, feedback from the USA has been so positive that families have expressed interest in formulating their own Arcs and offering their insights into the landscape for rhabdomyosarcoma research in the USA. The ethos of the Arcs is all about working together and making impact as a collective group presenting a multitude of rhabdomyosarcoma stories. We’ve always expressed our desire to keep evolving in order to defeat rhabdomyosarcoma.
And so, we are proud to announce that we will be launching Alice’s Arc, US Inc in 2023. By doing this, we hope to accelerate the international approach to rhabdomyosarcoma research. We believe in the power of collaboration between global institutions to ultimately benefit the patient.
The research must contribute to providing a greater chance of survival for those facing a metastatic diagnosis, for those who relapse and for those where tumour analysis may reveal the presence of challenging biomarkers. Let’s hope the years ahead will bring new treatments. We want to be there to give hope to families diagnosed in the future.
We think Alice would have liked this. She loved America and the time she spent there receiving proton therapy, alongside chemotherapy.
For Alice. For all the Arc children and young people. For all those impacted by rhabdomyosarcoma all over the world. For all those who will receive a diagnosis in the future. We can make change together.
