Child Cancer Research Foundation

The creation of the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc.) was inspired by nine year old Jennifer Harper, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1977.

When her father, Peter Harper, discovered that there was no research into children’s cancer
being done in Western Australia, he set out to raise funds for this purpose.

Peter joined forces with other parents of children with cancer and, with the support of
the children’s hospital in Perth, the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc.) was formed.

In 1983 the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Laboratory was established on the
hospital campus and in 1984 Dr (now Professor) Ursula Kees, a Swiss born scientist, was
recruited from the German Cancer Institute to head up the Research Unit.

Whilst inspiring the creation of the Foundation, Jennifer did not win her fight against leukaemia and, sadly, died in 1978.

Our researchers have a very co-operative relationship with the Oncology Ward at the
children’s hospital and play an integral part in the treatment of children with cancer.

The work done by our scientists was essential to the establishment of the Bone Marrow
Transplantation Program at the children’s hospital, greatly improving childhood leukaemia
survival rates in WA.

Without the work undertaken by the CLCRF funded researchers, many different projects
around the world could not be undertaken. Institutes, not only Australia wide but also, in
England, The Netherlands, France, USA, and Japan have all been recipients of cell lines grown right here in WA.

The Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc.) provides funding for research personnel, additional financial assistance to Ph.D Students, laboratory consumables and maintenance and equipment. Without this support the researchers could not continue this lifesaving work.