They call it an invisible illness, but Antonia was terrified the first time her young daughter Kenzie started choking because of cystic fibrosis.

The outlook for children with cystic fibrosis has improved significantly over the past few decades, but it was still a shock for Antonia and husband Chris when Kenzie was diagnosed through newborn screening.

“I think (research is) the only thing that will give Kenzie and other kids like her an actual proper normal life. There are the challenges with cystic fibrosis and gene therapy and we're really hoping that in her lifetime that there will be a breakthrough.”

As a first-time Mum, Ana expected sleepless nights and endless cuddles. Instead, she found herself sitting by a hospital bed as baby James underwent intensive surgery after being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition: Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome.

After seeing the work being done in CMRI’s Eye Genetics Research Unit, Ana was eager to become an ambassador for Jeans for Genes.
"It’s giving kids and their families the hope for a better future to help them grow and flourish."

When parents Laurie and Craig found out their daughter Ruby had cancer, one of the hardest parts was explaining to their six-year-old that this was very different from when her tooth fell out.

Despite the challenges, Ruby came through treatment extremely well and is now a strong and healthy 11-year-old in remission. Craig remembers being asked if they would donate her blood and bone marrow to research.

“It was just a no-brainer to say yes," Craig said. “Anything we can do to help find a future cure for this horrible disease is something we wanted to be a part of. And organisations like CMRI can hopefully one day find a cure for diseases and cancers like leukaemia."