Lauren Clark

The Malaghan Institute is New Zealand's world-class independent biomedical research institute with a focus on breakthrough discoveries in immunology and immunotherapy, and they are doing important work in the CAR T space right here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Right now, many kiwis suffering from aggressive blood cancers are having to travel overseas, at enormous cost, to access life-saving or life-extending medical treatment. This is something that we've been coming to terms with for a while, as it's very likely that Kieran will benefit from CAR T treatment at some stage in the future. It's really exciting to think that one day a therapy as cutting-edge as this could be available for blood cancer sufferers here without having to leave home (or bankrupt themselves).

Every kilometer I complete and dollar I raise will support Malaghan's ENABLE-2 trial - a critical step toward making CAR T therapy available in New Zealand's public health system. Who wouldn't get out and crank out some k's to support this cause, and by extension the future patients who'll benefit from it?