Two days that will help for years

by Mathilde (Dec 2, 2003)

2003 is the seventeenth year when French mobilize with so much generosity, fervour and dynamism to raise funds to help the scientific and medical research which can save the patients affected by genetic diseases. What’s more, the purpose of such an appointment which can’t be ignored is to make the French sensitive and to inform them about disabilities. 

Indeed, everywhere in France, the AFM (Association Française contre les Myopathies)  - patients association determined to find a cure for neuromuscular diseases - organizes different events such as releases of balloons, sports challenges, auctions, refreshment bars, hikes… But above all presenters on the public television channel “France 2” take turns for thirty hours of live broadcasting in order to invite people to make donations. Two thirds of the collected money is dedicated to research, particularly into the perfecting of gene-based therapies (1). The remaining third is dedicated to helping the patients : improvement of the care, help to the patients, research into innovative technical helps.

Thanks to the generosity and the solidarity of the donors, the AFM, last year could take up a new challenge and launched the "New Frontier" scientific program . It’s a major scientific challenge for the five next years : to multiply therapeutic tries on human beings to improve genotherapies particularly for neuromuscular diseases.
Do you know some genetic diseases ?
- muscular dystrophy
- neuropathy
- muscovisidose
- paralysis
- amyotrophy
- myopathy

The word “telethon” comes from two French words : “télévision” and “marathon”. The contraction of these two terms symbolizes the thirty hours of live broadcasting which make it the longest live programme of the world.

Some figures :
- 100,000 volunteers are involved in the organization of the events.
- 22,000 events which liven up French towns and villages, including overseas territories.

- Last year the amount of the gifts rised to 91,546,548 Euros.

- You must remember only one number : 3637. If you want to make a gift from France call 3637. Your donation will help accelerate research progress and raise patients' hopes.

- From the first telethon in 1987 to the end of 2002, AFM invested 515 million euros for curing diseases.

(1)Genotherapies : therapies from the knowledge of the genes that offer the only hope for curing numerous, currently incurable, rare genetic diseases.

Meeting on 5th and 6th of December 2003. 

Be generous!

Patients count on you !