L-R: Ashleigh, Krissy, Brady and Stacey

Welcome to BrAshA-T

BrAshA-T Ataxia-Telangiectasia Limited organisation was founded in 2007 by a Brisbane (Australia) family after two of their young children, Brady 9 and Ashleigh 8, were diagnosed with A-T.

Determined to do something about their situation, parents Sean and Krissy created the organisation called BrAshA-T to raise money to support research into finding a cure and as a means for creating a support network for other families dealing with A-T.

Our Mission

• Research - fund medical research into the causes, prevention and treatment of A-T


• Awareness - engage in activities to raise community awareness of A-T


• Support - provide emotional support and limited financial assistance for sufferers of A-T


• Fundraising - engage in fundraising activities to make it possible to fulfil Our Mission

How to Support BrAshA-T

BrAshA-T is desperately trying to raise funds through donations (100% tax deductable), fundraising events, merchandise and sponsorship to support research into finding a cure for this devastating disease.

What We've Achieved So Far

Since getting up and running in late 2007, we are starting to bear the fruits of our efforts with considerable progress towards achieving our long-term goals:

• Created a support network for families around Australia affected by A-T who are now in contact with each other as well as the foundation.


• Established a National A-T Clinic, supported by the Queensland State Government, QIMR and the Brisbane Royal Childrens' Hospital, to provide a team of expert doctors who will see every child in Australia diagnosed with A-T.
  
  Specialist doctors will be in attendance from Neurology, Immunology, Respiratory, Oncology, Genetics and Psychology along with a Pediatrician on board to oversee general care. Also available will be therapists from Allied Health - speech, OT & physio. These clinics take place three times a year in March, July and October.


• Welcomed on board Kate Munro as the Clinical Coordinator for the National A-T Clinic.


• Committed the funding in 2009 to a dedicated honors program for Romal Stewart who achieved first class honors while working with Professor Martin Lavin and his team of researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.


• Established a scholarship to support post-graduate student, Romal Stewart, to obtain a first class Honour’s degree through the University of Southern Queensland.
  
  Romal conducted his studies at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research under the supervision of Professors Martin Lavin and Mike Kotig and Dr Sergei Kozlov.
  
  His project was designed to investigate how the ATM protein (defective in ataxia-telangiectasia) is activated with a view to understanding how this protein protects against cancer and neurodegenerative disease.


• Committed to provide funding support for two PhD Scholarships commencing in 2010.


• Ongoing commitment to A-T Research Programs at QIMR.


• Committed funding to the Scientific Research Meetings - ATW2010 in Los Angeles in 2010 and ATW2012 in New Delhi in February, 2012.


• Committed half of the funding of a $126,000 project by the University of Queensland's Centre for Clinical Research using advanced imaging techniques to compare the brain circuitry of AT patients with healthy children, particularly as it relates to motor function.


• Raised significant funds through holding events such as Charity Dinners, Movie Nights, Golf Days, Membership Drives, Merchandise Sales, etc.

Sean Roebig

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of Sean Roebig, one of BrAshA-T's founding members, loving husband to Krissy and devoted father to Josh, Stacey, Brady and Ashleigh.

I wish we could have found a cure for A-T in Sean's life time but I will continue to push ahead for a cure in Brady and Ashleigh's life time. BrAshA-T is a legacy that Sean has left behind to be continued...

Life is going to be very hard without Sean in it.

BUT as hard as all of these things will be it will happen because Sean had faith in me from the day he met me. He loved me. We will be ok...

It takes less than 1 minute and it's free!

Stay up-to-date with upcoming fundraisers and advances in A-T Research.

Click here to become a BrAshA-T Supporter.

Support Team BrAshA-T in the Gold Coast Marathon!

Team BrAshA-T has joined Suncorp Bank's runPositive program by entering the Gold Coast Airport Marathon on the 6/7th of July 2013!

Please support Team BrAshA-T with a donation!

Want to run with us and maybe win $10,000?

By entering the race and joining Suncorp Bank's runPositive program you have a chance to win $10,000!

The runPositive program supports wellbeing and positivity within the community by giving runners participating in sponsored runPositive events personalised printed singlets expressing why they runPositive.

By sharing the reasons why they runPositive, all participants of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon can enter Suncorp Bank's runPositive competition for the chance to win a $10,000 Suncorp Bank Everyday Basics account.

Researchers Create Disease-in-a-Dish Model for A-T

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) just announced that they have successfully used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to create the first disease-in-a-dish model for A-T. Read more...

Mia's Story

A-T Clinics

The Brisbane Royal Children's Hospital is considering a new model for the A-T Clinics.

The current proposal is for a September clinic for Queensland children and seeing all doctors in just the one day. Another separate one-day clinic would then be held for interstate children around October.

We will keep you posted as more news comes to hand.

Click here to download a copy of the latest A-T Clinic Newsletter (Summer 2013).

A-T Workshop, Birmingham 28-31 July 2013

The 2013 International A-T Workshop will bring together a broad spectrum of scientists and clinicians from all over the world including a contingent from Brisbane headed-up by Dr Martin Lavin.

This Workshop is held every two years and is one of the most important events on the research calendar.

These Workshops involve a tremendous amount of organisation and funding and with the next Workshop scheduled for Brisbane in 2015, this is currently one of our major fundraising goals.

Courier-Mail Story on 6 Oct 2012

An interesting story by Janelle Miles (Brisbane's Courier-Mail on the 6th of October 2012) about the recent encouraging advances in A-T research, click here to read it. Many thanks to those who donated to BrAshA-T after reading the article.

Royal Children's Hospital neurologist, Kate Sinclair, with Brady and Krissy. Click on this photo to read the article

2012 Brisbane Gala Dinner

Click on this photo for more

Thank-you to everyone who attended the Brisbane BrAshA-T Gala Charity Dinner and Memorabilia Auction held at the Eatons Hill Hotel & Function Centre on the 13th of October 2012.

Many thanks also to all of you who donated prizes. View the photos.

Step closer to understanding childhood degenerative brain disease

Researchers at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) are a step closer to understanding and combating the degenerative brain disease ataxia-telangiectasia. More...

2HC Radio Interview 16 April 2012

The 14th International Workshop on A-T - Feb 7-11, 2012 in New Delhi

The International A-T Workshop has been held every few years since 1980 in different parts of the world. The meeting is unique in that it focuses on the various facets of A-T, the disease, and ATM function.

The 14th International Workshop on A-T was held in New Delhi on February 7-11, 2012. BrAshA-T supported this very important event (as it has in the past in Japan in 2008 and LA in 2010) by attending the workshop and contributing towards its operational costs.

You can learn more about this workshop by reading the reports submitted by Krissy Roebig and Martin Lavin on our Research page.

Courier-Mail Story on 12 Nov 2011

Ashleigh, 6, Brady, 8, and Stacey Roebig, 11. Click on this photo to read the article

A nice story by Janelle Miles in Brisbane's Courier-Mail on the 12th of November 2011 - click here to read it. Many thanks to those who donated to BrAshA-T after reading the article.