Latest news with #TheKids'CancerProject
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Wallabies great celebrates wins in the kids' cancer field
This is branded content for The Kids' Cancer Project. Growing up, with his acclaimed rugby union career still ahead of him, Owen Finegan's future dedication to helping others was already being shaped - by his dad. "His favourite saying was, 'It's in giving that you receive'," says the former champion Australian Wallaby, now chief executive officer of The Kids' Cancer Project, Australia's largest independent not-for-profit investor in childhood cancer research. "He was one of the big influences on my life, and that was one thing he drilled into all of us. He was one of my biggest heroes and role models. " This year marks ten years since Mr Finegan took on the role at The Kids' Cancer Project, with a promise to take up the goal of its founder, Col Reynolds, to see 100 per cent of children, adolescents and young adults surviving cancer as well as living with no long-term health implications caused by their treatment. Mr Reynolds was inspired to establish the organisation more than 32 years ago after seeing two bald young cancer patients who were heading to Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital cross in front of the bus he was driving. He was so struck by the sight that he followed them into the hospital to find out about them. Since then, The Kids' Cancer Project has contributed more than $75 million to childhood cancer research, funding 429 projects since 2005. In Australia, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in childhood. Around 1000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and three die each week. But there is plenty of hope. In the last 10 years, the survival rate has increased from 58 per cent to 87 per cent, and researchers continue to make inroads into developing kinder, less toxic cancer treatments that will mean survivors can thrive for the rest of their lives. Mr Finegan said he's grateful his rugby career helped provide him with the opportunity to be involved in raising awareness and encouraging support to provide the funding scientists need to make the innovative discoveries, advance treatments, and build support programs to improve outcomes for children and their families. "I feel very lucky," he said. "I had a great time playing for the Wallabies, representing my country. It was a decade that was a golden era for Australian rugby, and the trophy cabinets were full. "People would think what could be more rewarding than that, but this role is much more, representing young kids and their families and trying to get them a better deal. I meet children and families that have endured childhood cancer and see firsthand the importance of what we're doing." While there is the continuing sadness of attending funerals of young people, Mr Finegan is encouraged by seeing survivors, such as the son of one of his former Wallaby teammates, who, 18 months ago, celebrated his 21st. "He'd been diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was a boy and given a 35 per cent chance of survival," he said. "I often say to people my vision is for more twenty-first birthdays and fewer funerals. You don't ever want to be going to a young child's funeral." Excited by the many achievements in the childhood cancer field since he became involved with The Kids' Cancer Project, Mr Finegan said he is confident the goal of zero deaths from childhood cancer is in sight. However, the work of The Kids' Cancer Project will continue even after that, to give survivors a better quality of life. Currently, around 80 per cent of children who survive have life-long physical, emotional and psychological problems as a result of the gruelling treatments they endure. "We're working together with other organisations in Australia and globally, and there are more and more advances with technology and big data, as well as bioinformatics, that are being used in the cancer space," he said. "When I started a decade ago, there was no such thing as AI, and now there are all those components being used, helping to speed up research projects. "We'd like to see that goal reached tomorrow, and certainly Col keeps talking about it. He's 84, still on our board, and continues to inspire us all. He got two new knees a couple of years ago and says until a cure is found he'll keep going. "He rang me four weeks ago just to tell me he's redone his will leaving everything to The Kids' Cancer Project. That's the kind of passion he has." Along with all of the research projects The Kids' Cancer Project has supported, involvement in the ZERO Childhood Cancer precision medicine program is one Mr Finegan is particularly proud of. In 2016, The Kids' Cancer Project made an initial investment of $200,000 in the personalised medicine program's initial clinical trials, which offered real-time genomic testing for Australian children with aggressive cancers. The funding allowed ZERO to demonstrate its capabilities to larger funding bodies, including state and federal governments. In March, ZERO received a $112 million investment from the Albanese Government, securing its status as a world-leading childhood cancer program. "This funding means every child with paediatric cancers will have access to personalised treatment, having their genetics tested, having their tumour tested, to find the best treatment specifically for them," Mr Finegan said. "These are some of the many big wins that are happening." To find out more about The Kids Cancer Project and how you can support its dream for no young person to die of cancer visit This is branded content for The Kids' Cancer Project. Growing up, with his acclaimed rugby union career still ahead of him, Owen Finegan's future dedication to helping others was already being shaped - by his dad. "His favourite saying was, 'It's in giving that you receive'," says the former champion Australian Wallaby, now chief executive officer of The Kids' Cancer Project, Australia's largest independent not-for-profit investor in childhood cancer research. "He was one of the big influences on my life, and that was one thing he drilled into all of us. He was one of my biggest heroes and role models. " This year marks ten years since Mr Finegan took on the role at The Kids' Cancer Project, with a promise to take up the goal of its founder, Col Reynolds, to see 100 per cent of children, adolescents and young adults surviving cancer as well as living with no long-term health implications caused by their treatment. Mr Reynolds was inspired to establish the organisation more than 32 years ago after seeing two bald young cancer patients who were heading to Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital cross in front of the bus he was driving. He was so struck by the sight that he followed them into the hospital to find out about them. Since then, The Kids' Cancer Project has contributed more than $75 million to childhood cancer research, funding 429 projects since 2005. In Australia, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in childhood. Around 1000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and three die each week. But there is plenty of hope. In the last 10 years, the survival rate has increased from 58 per cent to 87 per cent, and researchers continue to make inroads into developing kinder, less toxic cancer treatments that will mean survivors can thrive for the rest of their lives. Mr Finegan said he's grateful his rugby career helped provide him with the opportunity to be involved in raising awareness and encouraging support to provide the funding scientists need to make the innovative discoveries, advance treatments, and build support programs to improve outcomes for children and their families. "I feel very lucky," he said. "I had a great time playing for the Wallabies, representing my country. It was a decade that was a golden era for Australian rugby, and the trophy cabinets were full. "People would think what could be more rewarding than that, but this role is much more, representing young kids and their families and trying to get them a better deal. I meet children and families that have endured childhood cancer and see firsthand the importance of what we're doing." While there is the continuing sadness of attending funerals of young people, Mr Finegan is encouraged by seeing survivors, such as the son of one of his former Wallaby teammates, who, 18 months ago, celebrated his 21st. "He'd been diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was a boy and given a 35 per cent chance of survival," he said. "I often say to people my vision is for more twenty-first birthdays and fewer funerals. You don't ever want to be going to a young child's funeral." Excited by the many achievements in the childhood cancer field since he became involved with The Kids' Cancer Project, Mr Finegan said he is confident the goal of zero deaths from childhood cancer is in sight. However, the work of The Kids' Cancer Project will continue even after that, to give survivors a better quality of life. Currently, around 80 per cent of children who survive have life-long physical, emotional and psychological problems as a result of the gruelling treatments they endure. "We're working together with other organisations in Australia and globally, and there are more and more advances with technology and big data, as well as bioinformatics, that are being used in the cancer space," he said. "When I started a decade ago, there was no such thing as AI, and now there are all those components being used, helping to speed up research projects. "We'd like to see that goal reached tomorrow, and certainly Col keeps talking about it. He's 84, still on our board, and continues to inspire us all. He got two new knees a couple of years ago and says until a cure is found he'll keep going. "He rang me four weeks ago just to tell me he's redone his will leaving everything to The Kids' Cancer Project. That's the kind of passion he has." Along with all of the research projects The Kids' Cancer Project has supported, involvement in the ZERO Childhood Cancer precision medicine program is one Mr Finegan is particularly proud of. In 2016, The Kids' Cancer Project made an initial investment of $200,000 in the personalised medicine program's initial clinical trials, which offered real-time genomic testing for Australian children with aggressive cancers. The funding allowed ZERO to demonstrate its capabilities to larger funding bodies, including state and federal governments. In March, ZERO received a $112 million investment from the Albanese Government, securing its status as a world-leading childhood cancer program. "This funding means every child with paediatric cancers will have access to personalised treatment, having their genetics tested, having their tumour tested, to find the best treatment specifically for them," Mr Finegan said. "These are some of the many big wins that are happening." To find out more about The Kids Cancer Project and how you can support its dream for no young person to die of cancer visit This is branded content for The Kids' Cancer Project. Growing up, with his acclaimed rugby union career still ahead of him, Owen Finegan's future dedication to helping others was already being shaped - by his dad. "His favourite saying was, 'It's in giving that you receive'," says the former champion Australian Wallaby, now chief executive officer of The Kids' Cancer Project, Australia's largest independent not-for-profit investor in childhood cancer research. "He was one of the big influences on my life, and that was one thing he drilled into all of us. He was one of my biggest heroes and role models. " This year marks ten years since Mr Finegan took on the role at The Kids' Cancer Project, with a promise to take up the goal of its founder, Col Reynolds, to see 100 per cent of children, adolescents and young adults surviving cancer as well as living with no long-term health implications caused by their treatment. Mr Reynolds was inspired to establish the organisation more than 32 years ago after seeing two bald young cancer patients who were heading to Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital cross in front of the bus he was driving. He was so struck by the sight that he followed them into the hospital to find out about them. Since then, The Kids' Cancer Project has contributed more than $75 million to childhood cancer research, funding 429 projects since 2005. In Australia, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in childhood. Around 1000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and three die each week. But there is plenty of hope. In the last 10 years, the survival rate has increased from 58 per cent to 87 per cent, and researchers continue to make inroads into developing kinder, less toxic cancer treatments that will mean survivors can thrive for the rest of their lives. Mr Finegan said he's grateful his rugby career helped provide him with the opportunity to be involved in raising awareness and encouraging support to provide the funding scientists need to make the innovative discoveries, advance treatments, and build support programs to improve outcomes for children and their families. "I feel very lucky," he said. "I had a great time playing for the Wallabies, representing my country. It was a decade that was a golden era for Australian rugby, and the trophy cabinets were full. "People would think what could be more rewarding than that, but this role is much more, representing young kids and their families and trying to get them a better deal. I meet children and families that have endured childhood cancer and see firsthand the importance of what we're doing." While there is the continuing sadness of attending funerals of young people, Mr Finegan is encouraged by seeing survivors, such as the son of one of his former Wallaby teammates, who, 18 months ago, celebrated his 21st. "He'd been diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was a boy and given a 35 per cent chance of survival," he said. "I often say to people my vision is for more twenty-first birthdays and fewer funerals. You don't ever want to be going to a young child's funeral." Excited by the many achievements in the childhood cancer field since he became involved with The Kids' Cancer Project, Mr Finegan said he is confident the goal of zero deaths from childhood cancer is in sight. However, the work of The Kids' Cancer Project will continue even after that, to give survivors a better quality of life. Currently, around 80 per cent of children who survive have life-long physical, emotional and psychological problems as a result of the gruelling treatments they endure. "We're working together with other organisations in Australia and globally, and there are more and more advances with technology and big data, as well as bioinformatics, that are being used in the cancer space," he said. "When I started a decade ago, there was no such thing as AI, and now there are all those components being used, helping to speed up research projects. "We'd like to see that goal reached tomorrow, and certainly Col keeps talking about it. He's 84, still on our board, and continues to inspire us all. He got two new knees a couple of years ago and says until a cure is found he'll keep going. "He rang me four weeks ago just to tell me he's redone his will leaving everything to The Kids' Cancer Project. That's the kind of passion he has." Along with all of the research projects The Kids' Cancer Project has supported, involvement in the ZERO Childhood Cancer precision medicine program is one Mr Finegan is particularly proud of. In 2016, The Kids' Cancer Project made an initial investment of $200,000 in the personalised medicine program's initial clinical trials, which offered real-time genomic testing for Australian children with aggressive cancers. The funding allowed ZERO to demonstrate its capabilities to larger funding bodies, including state and federal governments. In March, ZERO received a $112 million investment from the Albanese Government, securing its status as a world-leading childhood cancer program. "This funding means every child with paediatric cancers will have access to personalised treatment, having their genetics tested, having their tumour tested, to find the best treatment specifically for them," Mr Finegan said. "These are some of the many big wins that are happening." To find out more about The Kids Cancer Project and how you can support its dream for no young person to die of cancer visit
West Australian
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
SuperKids SuperHeroes Round founders Simon and Kim Kane want to take Auskick activation national
From scooters to superheroes, Simon and Kim Kane have spent the past 10 years honouring the legacy of their son Declan and teaching kids they can be the superheroes they aspire to. And now, the Bridgetown pair are hoping this weekend's WA Auskick SuperKids SuperHeroes Round, which raises money in memory of Declan, can go national to raise even more money in the fight against childhood cancer. Kids across more than 50 Auskick clubs across the state donned the cape and cowl on the field this weekend for the annual commemorative round, which brings together two of Declan's favourite things: football and superheroes. This year's round will also feature a half-time activation at Sunday's AFL clash between West Coast Eagles and St Kilda at Optus Stadium. Declan was just eight years old when he lost his fight to neuroblastoma, a type of cancer mostly diagnosed in young children, in 2017 after four years battling the disease. The Kane Family began to fundraise for The Kids' Cancer Project in 2016, initially with a 10-day, 600km odyssey from their hometown of Bridgetown to Perth on motorised scooters. Having driven the creation of SuperKids SuperHeroes Round to celebrate Declan's legacy, the Kanes have now raised more than $440,000 for The Kids' Cancer Project and are set to pass the half-a-million mark this year. Simon Kane, who often dresses up as Batman, Declan's favourite superhero, said the round just kept getting bigger and bigger. 'Every time we stop and reflect, we just get overwhelmed with joy, helping making a big difference on other people's lives,' he said. 'Obviously going through that hard stage ourselves, trying to make fun out of it and then seeing the kids have so much fun and kids helping kids as well at the same time, which they don't realise they're doing — that brings a lot of joy to our hearts.' While the round remains a strictly-WA affair for now, Kim Kane said the goal was to raise even more awareness around the battle against childhood cancer and take the message national. 'Kids definitely do gravitate towards the superheroes. Whenever we arrive at any of the ovals, it kind of brings an element of crazy and the kids just go bananas,' she said. 'We're hoping that this will spread right throughout WA and even over to the eastern states. That's our main would really like to extend that nationwide. 'All the funds that are raised help all kids in Australia who are fighting cancer,so it's not just kids in WA that benefit, it's kids throughout the whole of Australia.' Kids' Cancer Project chief executive Owen Finegan has been involved with the foundation since 2015 and has watched the Kane family's story unfold every step of the way. 'Families who have gone through the childhood cancer journey, for all of them, it's a lifetime challenge,' he said. 'They're either going through sort of secondary chronic illness and the chance of it reoccurring, or like the Kane family, you have families that forever doing something like this in memory and as a legacy for the child they lost. 'Our strongest advocates are the people that have been through this experience and it's amazing to see 10 years later the Kane family are still fundraising in memory of Declan, who passed away and will be forever eight.' Finegan, who played 56 games for the Wallabies before moving into the non-profit sector, said the personal stories of the Kane family helped add more emotion to the statistics. 'Every day, three families are hearing the words 'your child has cancer'; every week, three of those children pass away; there's 950 kids every year diagnosed with cancer in Australia,' he said. 'The round and the activations, it's raising awareness, which make people aware of those sort of statistics, but also then the opportunity for them to donate and we celebrate that every dollar makes a difference. 'It has been a way for them to honour and preserve Declan's legacy, while continuing to help others and making sure that the next kid that's diagnosed with neuroblastoma or cancer hopefully finds kinder and better treatments and a better survival rate and better quality of life, and they're able to not just survive their treatment, but thrive.'
