A group of fundraisers has raised an incredible £520,000 towards the development of a vaccine that might provide a cure for Crohn’s Disease.
Helen, from Gilwern, has been personally involved in the fundraising of more than £4,000 through raffles, sponsored walks, a race night, and a successful Craft Market for several years running.
The MAP Vaccine Heroes, of which Helen is a member, are a group of ordinary people, Crohn’s sufferers and their families, who support the theory that the MAP bacterium is a major cause of Crohn’s Disease, and that the vaccine should be trialled. MAP stands for Mycobacterium avium subspecies Patatuberculosis and it is proven to cause a similar disease in cattle called Johnes Disease.
The charity was set up by Amy Hermon Taylor in October 2013 when she ran the London Marathon. She wanted to support the lifelong research that her father has been doing into a cure for Crohn’s Disease. Since then she has been joined by over 100 Crohn’s MAP Vaccine heroes all doing their bit to raise money for an essential test for MAP bacteria and to raise awareness of Professor Hermon Taylor’s pioneering work. The charity has no overheads, being run completely by volunteers, so all the money raised goes straight to fund the research.
The vaccine, which is being manufactured by the prestigious Jenner Institute in Oxford, is a therapeutic T-Cell vaccine. This means it should have a beneficial effect (i.e. by eliminating MAP) on those already affected by Crohn’s, as well as being a preventative treatment for those who are genetically vulnerable.
After 3 years of fundraising, the charity has raised in excess of £520,000, which means that the MAP diagnostic test essential for Phase II of the vaccine trials can go ahead. Phase I trials of the Vaccine, to assess safety on healthy volunteers, are about to start at the Jenner Institute. Phase II trials on people with Crohn’s will start in 2018.
“It is so exciting to see the trials actually going ahead” said Helen. “In the early days the funding target seemed so far away, but we were all determined that our loved ones should have the chance that this research is offering. Gradually the word got out and more and more people joined the fundraising effort, and it all snowballed!
Helen is organising a Craft Market at the Clarence Hall, Crickhowell, again this year, on Saturday 8th April as part of her fundraising. “It is always a lovely event” she said. “The first one was in 2015 and we raised over £500 for the charity and everyone enjoyed it so much that we have had one every year since. We have a lovely group of core stall holders, but there is always room for a few more, so if anyone would like to join us please contact me on 07817 465483”.
For more information about the vaccine: www.crohnsmapvaccine.com; www.facebook.com/crohnsmapvaccine; Twitter: @CrohnsVaccine
Helen’s fundraising page: justgiving.com/fundraising/CrohnsFriendsMEN3936
