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Catherine Maclean

I am going the distance to bring better cancer treatments to New Zealand. Please show your support.

Help me reach my goal of 1000 to build a healthier future for our loved ones

My Activity Tracking

35
kms

My target 150 kms

Distance Travelled

Total

35km

My target

150km

I'm going the distance this April to help bring life-saving CAR T-cell therapy home to New Zealand.

Right now, many Kiwis with aggressive blood cancers have to travel thousands of kilometres overseas and pay enormous costs to access CAR T treatment. 

I’m taking on this challenge because no one should have to leave Aotearoa for life-changing cancer care. Every kilometre I complete and every dollar I raise will support the Malaghan Institute’s ENABLE-2 trial - a critical step toward making CAR T-cell therapy available in New Zealand’s public health system, close to home and whānau.

Please support my challenge if you can. Together, we can help bring this treatment home.

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

$2,571

My Goal

$1,000

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My Go the Distance Milestones

Registered your page!

Uploaded a profile picture

Set your fundraising target

Made a self donation

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Received your first donation

50% fundraising target met!

Halfway distance!

Smashed Funraising Goal!

Gone the distance!

My Updates

In training!

Sunday 22nd Mar
Unexpectedly, I climbed to the summit of Ben Lomond in Queenstown yesterday! It was an incredible experience, something I never thought I could do. Thank you to my dear friend Vanessa for encouraging me up the mountain xx

This is my why…

Thursday 19th Mar
I’m walking 150km over April to raise money for Malaghan Institute, a research charity in Wellington. They need $1m for a blood cancer trial using CAR-T Cell Therapy. It’s super clever and explained more below. Could you please sponsor me if you can?

I figure most of you know I live with a blood cancer called Myeloma (or Multiple Myeloma). It’s a tricky bugger that never quite goes away but incredible advances in research and treatments mean it’s becoming possible to live with myeloma and keep it at bay. 

Each time it rears its head, we whack it back with a different treatment. Unfortunately NZ's public system only provides old and pretty toxic treatments. I’ve done them and they're brutal.

CAR-T Cell Therapy gives us another very effective tool to whack it back with, plus way less toxicity and side effects than treatments like Stem Cell Transplant. That wasn't an experience I wish to repeat 🤢😷🫤

Currently to get CAR-T Cell, NZ patients have to travel overseas, be away from family for 6-8 weeks and pay at least $150k, often significantly more.

Malaghan is doing world-class research and trials with CAR-T Cell Therapy in NZ. It’s a game changer. Patients’ DNA is extracted, genetically modified to know how to kill the cancer cells and then injected back into the patient to do its work. 

It’s especially effective for blood cancers. They’ve completed a very successful Stage 1 Lymphoma trial and are fundraising $1m to complete their next ENABLE-2 trial. They're talking to Pharmac and this treatment could be publicly available in the future. Woohooo!!

Myeloma trials are a little further away but I really hope they will be coming onboard in the next few years. I’ll be signing up!!

If you can sponsor my walking, I would be enormously grateful. And so will thousands of other Kiwis with blood cancer. If you want to join me on some walks, I’d love that too.

The link is below… I’ve set a target of $1,000 and I’d love to smash it out of the park! The accountant within me wants to mention that if you donate by 31 March, you can include it in this year's IRD "Donation Tax Credits".

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Catherine Maclean
donate.malaghan.org.nz


And because you are all darling and possibly wondering… my cancer is in a lovely, stable remission and I’m feeling a million bucks. I'm about to walk the Milford Track! If nothing else, cancer has taught me what really matters… to treasure life, family & friends and to appreciate every day (sounds trite I’m sure but believe me, your mindset changes after a cancer diagnosis) and to love hiking!! It’s such a great therapy and 150km will be a joy for such a good cause 🥾🌳🌿

Thank you heaps 
💞 Catherine xo

You guys are the best!!

Wednesday 11th Mar
Thank you for all the amazing support I’ve received already! 
This is such a great cause. Malaghan are life changers, giving so much hope for those of us with blood cancer 🙏

Thank you to my Sponsors

$263.75

Louise Dinmore

Looking forward to walking some of this with you!

$154.65

M&b

$106.12

Margaret Maclean

Such a worthy cause!

$106.12

Kylie Ho

Legend Catherine, great cause!

$106.12

Matched Donation

$106.12

Tony

Go you!! Ted and I are looking forward to the extra walks on the beach xx

$106.12

Vanessa Sedlmair

You have got this!

$106.12

Charlotte

Wishing you the best

$106.12

Tilly Baker

You go Girl!

$106.12

Anonymous

Well done Cath

$106.12

Matched Donation

$106.12

Jackways Family

You are inspirational

$106.12

Donna Freeman

You rock!

$106.12

Maria

Go girrrrl!

$100

Nicole Gibson

All the best Catherine xx

$80.25

Neil & Jill White

All the very best as you take on this challenge for a very worthy cause!

$54.12

Catherine Maclean

$54.12

Will

Go Mum!! What a wicked effort!

$54.12

Jocelyn Ashley

Hi Catherine, you are doing so well!!! I hope your walking goes well, what an amazing lady!!! Sending all our love to you 😍

$54.12

Lou Morey

Huge admiration for your positivity and resilience Catherine. Wishing you all the best for keeping to smash your goals!

$54.12

Matched Donation

$54.12

Liz Grant

Good luck Catherine for your April challenge! Sending lots of love Liz xx

$54.12

Georgia Neale

Always in awe of your strength and big heart x

$52.92

Brad Sayer

Inspirational Catherine!

$50

Sham

Go Catherine,

$50

Matched Donation

$27.81

Gavin

Good luck!

$27.81

Matched Donation

$27.81

Steph

Glad to hear you are feeling well enough to do Milford! Enjoy it !

$27.81

Lucy Ashley

You are amazing Catherine! Sending love always!! Xxx

$27.81

Anonymous

$27.81

Bruce Baker