Telethon Kids Institute - Annual Report 2020

are at the of everything we do

COVER IMAGE:

Tahlea’s beautiful big smile lights up a room.

Read Tahlea’s story at telethonkids30.org.au

Contents

4

MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR

10 16

8 2020 HIGHLIGHTS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Telethon Kids Institute acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters of Australia. We also acknowledge the Nyoongar Wadjuk, Yawuru, Kariyarra and Kaurna Elders, their people and their land upon which the Institute is located and seek their wisdom in our work to improve the health and development of all children.

At the Telethon Kids Institute, our vision is simple –happy healthy kids.

We bring together community, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and funders, who share our mission to improve the health, development and lives of children and young people through excellence in research.

Importantly, we want knowledge applied so it makes a difference.

18

PHILANTHROPIC SPECTRUM

30

OUR FINANCIALS

28

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

In 2020, we celebrated 30 years of making a difference.

We did this through photos and stories of some of the kids whose lives we’ve changed through the research we do.

Their stories and images capture a small snapshot of the abundance of work we’re doing, and remain committed to pursuing at Telethon Kids, and the impact we have had on the world around us.

Visit telethonkids30.org.au to read the stories and get to know these amazing kids. They’ll change your life like they’ve changed ours.

Find out more at telethonkids.org.au

4

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR & DIRECTOR

Turning 30 years old is a milestone worthy of celebration. However, our plans to mark the Institute’s anniversary, like those of so many others, were disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic which became the pervasive theme of the year 2020, and continues today.

Amid the tragedy and uncertainty, the pandemic provided powerful proof of the importance of health and medical research. It showed that science can be fast-tracked at a previously unimaginable rate when there is global collaboration and ample resources.

For us, privileged by the protection made possible by our isolation, there was also opportunity.

Without an overwhelming local burden of disease, we were able to focus our efforts on better understanding COVID-19 – how to protect, limit transmission, improve testing, and reduce the impact on other aspects of health and wellbeing.

There was also added responsibility. We have been a strong and trusted voice in the community, and to governments, as we navigated through uncertain territory.

We learned that being local does matter, and when travel is halted, a skilled and experienced workforce and cutting edge technology is vital.

Our 30 years of experience and strong connection to our community gave us the solid foundation not only to survive, but to emerge from the year even better positioned to tackle whatever might be ahead.

By year’s end, we were ready to celebrate our anniversary. It was small in scale but featured those who matter most — the kids whose lives we have changed through the research we undertake.

We were able to showcase the impact of our research on the world around us through a stunning exhibition of images and stories. The exhibition is available online and provides a compelling demonstration of the value of research, not only in these COVID times, but before and beyond.

OUR RESEARCH

Despite the constant challenges, 2020 proved to be one of our strongest.

Institute researchers were awarded $44,366,113 in grant money, a 27 per cent increase on the 2019 total.

This remarkable result was achieved as our staff and students tested their agility and resilience, quickly adapting to working from home where possible, juggling access issues and timeframes on research trials, and pivoting to apply their skillsets to the rapid initiation of COVID-related studies such as BRACE, CONCORD and DETECT.

Many of the year’s research highlights and major grants are featured on page 10.

We unveiled the next phase of our Commitment to Aboriginal Children and Families, outlining a comprehensive approach to building our relationships with community and our accountability. We invested further in our Kulunga Aboriginal Unit, which will lead our Aboriginal Employment and Career Development Strategy and the implementation of new Standards for Aboriginal Research. It means upskilling the whole organisation, continuing to embed Aboriginal health into every research area, and that we continue to listen to and be guided by Aboriginal voices in all that we do.

We launched Telethon Kids CONNECT, our new program that honours the many ways our community supports us, and provides new opportunities for genuine involvement and engagement.

We also officially launched the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, a powerhouse partnership between Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital that builds on 30 years of experience where WA’s respiratory researchers have been recognised as amongst the world’s best.

On the commercialisation front, we executed licence agreements for the PRAGMA-CF Patents and Data with Resonance Health and Thirona, and saw the successful spinout of the impact-tracking software developed at the Institute into the company Grow Impact Pty Ltd.

We farewelled founding scientists Professors Steve Zubrick and Carol Bower, who leave us with the enormous legacy of their research achievements, but also exemplary models of how to work with governments and community to ensure research is useful and used.

We welcomed new teams in Food and Nutrition (Dr Gina Trapp), Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health (Dr Amy Finlay-Jones), Kids Rehab Research (Dr Jane Valentine), Leukaemia Translational Research (Dr Rishi Kotecha), Translational Genomics in Leukaemia (Dr Sebastien Malinge) and Translational Genetics (Dr Vanessa Fear).

PROFESSOR JONATHAN CARAPETIS AM

HON JULIE BISHOP

Mikayla is a passionate animal lover and a talented drummer.

Read Mikayla’s story at telethonkids30.org.au

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Despite uncertainty and unprecedented disruption during 2020, Telethon Kids finished the financial year with an operating surplus of $5.84 million, and an unqualified audit. Given the potential impact of the global pandemic on the Institute’s research continuity, this outcome represents a remarkable result.

Like many not-for-profit organisations, including most medical research institutes, the Institute qualified to participate in the Australian Government’s JobKeeper Subsidy Scheme. These wage subsidies enabled us to retain all staff despite disruptions to research activities due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.

The Institute also implemented a range of fiscal controls to limit operational expenditure, including a freeze on employee salary increases and containing expenditure growth. By year’s end we had managed to sustain a positive financial position.

As at 31 December 2020, there was a 13.7 per cent increase in total assets held on the Institute’s Balance Sheet to $198.3 million, primarily due to committed research funding and investment income. Total equity held on the Balance Sheet also increased in value by 20 per cent to $85.1 million. Strengthening our Balance Sheet contributes to the long term strategy of increasing the Institute’s financial sustainability, both to buffer against the fluctuations and vagaries of Australia’s research funding environment, and enable increased investment in research excellence and innovation.

Greater financial viability will be particularly important as we navigate the post-COVID economic environment, which for medical research in Australia remains largely uncertain.

We sincerely thank Deloitte, as the Institute’s Honorary Auditor, for the excellent work done on this year’s audit.

OUR THANKS

Our Principal Partner, Telethon, has once again proved its deep connection with the WA community with another outstanding fundraising result, in the toughest of years. Enormous credit must go to Telethon Chair, Richard Goyder and all the Trustees, along with General Manager, Mark McCrory and his team, for such an impressive result. Telethon Kids Institute is proud to wear the Telethon name, and grateful to be one of 65 beneficiaries of this extraordinary community effort.

Philanthropy plays a critical role in the future of the Institute. It not only helps us to recruit and retain great scientists, it funds exciting, innovative research that doesn’t always fit the usual funding pathways. We are indebted to the generosity of many supporters, including corporations, foundations, individuals

and families. The Philanthropy report on page 18 acknowledges those valued supporters who join with us to make a difference.

Our Board of Directors volunteer their time and talents to ensure strategic oversight and good governance. We appreciate all that they contribute and the value they add to our organisation. This year we farewell and thank two long-serving, high-contributing Directors.

Jeff Dowling has given 12 years of service to Telethon Kids, having joined the Board in 2009. His financial expertise as former Managing Partner of Ernst and Young Western Region made him a highly credentialed Chair of the Finance Committee for many years. Among his many contributions to Telethon Kids was his handson role in securing the agreements for our wonderful facility at the Perth Children’s Hospital and the growth of our Endowment Fund.

Michael McAnearney is retiring from the Board after nine years, during which he too has been a very active Director, serving on the Risk and Compliance, Remuneration and Nomination and Development Committees over that period. As Director and CEO of Gerard Daniels Australia, one of his great legacies is in leading the recruitment of Professor Jonathan Carapetis, along with his insights into organisational culture, and the relationships he has helped to build as part of our Development program.

We are delighted to welcome former West Australian Treasurer, Hon Ben Wyatt, to the Board, who brings great financial acumen and political insight. Ben has a deep commitment to reducing disparities and improving health and development outcomes for Aboriginal children, and empowering communities to lead that agenda.

We are very proud of the way our staff and students rose to meet the unprecedented challenges of 2020. They proved themselves to be resilient and adaptable while retaining their passion for making a difference.

To all of them, and to all who support our work, we say a very heartfelt thank you.

Our strength in our research, our people, and our financial base will enable us to continue to respond to our community needs. Together we can look forward with hope to a pathway out of this pandemic, and to an even brighter future.

Hon Julie Bishop Chair Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM Executive Director

8

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

HON JULIE BISHOP, CHAIR

Julie joined the Board as Chair in August 2019. The Former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister is the Chancellor of the Australian National University, Chair of the Princes’ Trust Australia, Director of The Palladium Group, and Member of the International Advisory Boards of Afiniti and the Human Vaccines Project. She is the Fisher Family Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs, and the Kissinger Fellow at The McCain Institute of International Leadership. Julie chairs the Institute’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee, and Development Committee.

JONATHAN CARAPETIS AM

Jonathan became Executive Director and Board Member of the Telethon Kids Institute in July 2012. A leading paediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, Jonathan is recognised as a leading mind in the Australian health field, with particular expertise in Indigenous child health. He is a member of the One Disease at a Time Foundation Board, President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, Member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, Member of The University of Western Australia Forrest Foundation Selection Committee, Editorial Board Member of Heart Asia (British Medical Journal), and a Member of the NHMRC Australia Council and RHDAustralia Advisory Committee.

FIONA DRUMMOND

Fiona joined the Telethon Kids Institute Board in November 2017 and Chairs the Finance Committee. She is the Ernst & Young Managing Partner Western Region and Assurance Partner, a Fellow of the Leadership WA Program, a Fellow of Chartered Accountants in Australia & New Zealand, a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia, and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Fiona has previously been on the Board of United Way WA.

JEFF DOWLING

Jeff joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2009, bringing significant financial expertise as Former Managing Partner of Ernst & Young Western Region. Jeff is a member of the Institute’s Finance Committee. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. His current board appointments include S2 Resources, Battery Minerals Ltd, NRW Holdings Ltd and Fleetwood Corporation Ltd.

JOZEF GÉCZ

Jozef joined the Board of Telethon Kids in 2016 and is a member of the Institute’s Risk and Compliance Committee. Jozef is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow, Chair of Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation for the Prevention of Childhood Disability, and Professor of Human Genetics at the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide. He established the Neurogenetics Research Program at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Jozef was awarded the 2019 South Australian Scientist of the Year.

JANE MUIRSMITH

Jane is one of Australia’s leading digital strategists and is Managing Director of Lenox Hill, a digital strategy and solutions advisory company. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has an Honours Degree in Commerce. Jane currently serves on the board of Australian Finance Group and Cedar Woods Properties, and is the Chair of HealthDirect Australia and past President of the WA Women’s Advisory Council to the WA Government. Jane joined the Telethon Kids Board in February 2018 and also sits on the Risk and Compliance Committee.

MICHAEL McANEARNEY

Michael is Director, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gerard Daniels Australia and Director of Gerard Daniels UK Ltd and USA Inc. Michael joined the Board of Telethon Kids in 2012 and is also a member of the Institute’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee and Development Committee. Michael is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Directors UK, and is a Non-Executive Director of LNG Ltd.

NICOLE O’CONNOR

Nicole joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2016 and is Chair of the Risk and Compliance Committee and also a member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. Nicole is Director of Research Services and Systems at Curtin University and previously was the General Manager Western Australia of SAP. Nicole is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

ROHAN WILLIAMS

Rohan joined the Telethon Kids Board in 2013 and was Executive Chairman, CEO and Founder of Dacian Gold Ltd and the founding CEO, Managing Director and CoFounder of Avoca Resources Ltd prior to a merger in 2011 to form Alacer Gold Corp, where he was a Non-Executive Director. Rohan is Director of Neap Consulting and has worked extensively in the resources sector including with WMC Resources Limited, where he held Chief Geologist positions at St Ives Gold Mines and the Norseman Gold Operation.

HON BEN WYATT (FROM APRIL 2021)

Ben joined the Board in April 2021 and is a member of the Institute’s Finance Committee. He is the former WA Treasurer and Minister for Finance; Aboriginal Affairs; and Lands. Ben studied Arts and Law at The University of Western Australia and completed his Masters at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly to represent the electorate of Victoria Park in 2006, and between 2008 and 2016 held a number of senior positions in the Shadow Cabinet. Ben’s current Board appointments include Woodside Petroleum Ltd and the West Coast Eagles.

10

2020 HIGHLIGHTS

We launched our new Commitment to Aboriginal Children and Families 2020 - 2023. Our Commitment builds on our genuine and strong partnerships with community, outlining a comprehensive approach designed to further build our relationships, our research and our accountability. It means upskilling the whole organisation, continuing to embed Aboriginal health into every research area, and most importantly, that we continue to listen to and be guided by a strong Aboriginal voice in all that we do.

Paediatric infectious diseases expert and clinician-scientist

Associate Professor Asha Bowen was named the Emerging Leader in Science at the country’s most prestigious science awards – the Australian Museum

Eureka Prizes. Driven by a passion to reduce the heavy burden of skin sores for Aboriginal children living in remote areas of Australia, Associate Professor Bowen was recognised for her outstanding leadership qualities and patient care expertise when driving new skin health research.

New research found children aged 2–5 years who came from dog-owning households – and regularly went on family dog walks or actively played with their dogs –had a reduced likelihood of conduct and peer problems, as well as increased pro-social behaviours such as sharing and cooperating, compared to children without a dog.

We kicked off the BRACE Trial in healthcare workers, testing whether the BCG vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis can reduce the chance of COVID-19 infection, lessen the severity of symptoms and boost immunity. The trial, led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, was supported by The Minderoo Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Professor Helen Milroy – Co-Director of our mental health research centre called Embrace – was named Western Australia’s 2021 Australian of the Year and received the 2020 Australian Mental Health Prize

In an Australian first, our researchers successfully grew radiation-induced glioma (RIG) tumour cells in the lab – the first time this has been achieved in Australia and just the second time globally – developing a new tool that could improve outcomes for children with RIG, a secondary cancer caused by radiation therapy which arises many years after the treatment of the initial tumour.

Researchers from Telethon Kids launched a world-first trial to test the effectiveness of the drug interferon in reducing the infectiousness of people who contract the virus, while at the same time increasing the resistance to infection in their close contacts. The trial, tracking more than 300 Santiago families where there is a positive COVID-19 case, was made possible through a $2.665 million donation from BHP’s Vital Resources Fund.

We launched the Play Active Program –developed by Telethon Kids Institute researchers in collaboration with ten partners across government, not for profit, the private sector and academic institutions – which gives childcare centres clear guidance on how to achieve physical activity guidelines for the early years.

Brain cancer researcher, Kamilaroi woman and Forrest Fellow Dr Jessica Buck was named one of Australia’s Superstars of STEM 2021-22, joining 60 women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to turn them into confident and highly visible media role models, expert commentators, and advocates for STEM.

New research by Telethon Kids showed donor natural killer (NK) cells – a type of immune cell that had naturally evolved to eliminate cancer cells, in particular leukaemia and lymphoma – were highly effective at boosting the body’s response against leukaemia. The results could offer a new treatment option for blood cancers.

Our Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases appointed Ms Valerie Swift to a newly created Aboriginal Cultural Guidance Advisor position, designed to strengthen the Centre’s commitment to Aboriginal Health and ensure strong cultural governance practices are embedded in all aspects of research.

Two Telethon Kids Institute research teams were awarded National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas Grants – the Aboriginalled Yawardani Jan-ga (Horses Helping) project, which uses Equine Assisted Learning to promote the social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of Aboriginal young people, and the trial of an immunobiotic nasal spray as a way of preventing respiratory infections.

The Telethon weekend was a huge success in 2020 with the annual event raising more than $46 million dollars for 65 beneficiaries supporting the kids of WA. We are proud to be a major beneficiary.

The RHD Endgame Strategy – the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease in Australia by 2031 – was launched. Five years in the making, the strategy pairs research by leading infectious diseases specialists with the knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders across the country to clearly set out the steps needed to eliminate the disease.

PhD candidate and youth suicide prevention researcher Penelope Strauss was a finalist for ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year in the Premier’s Science Awards.

A Telethon Kids study conducted in the remote Kimberley region of WA demonstrated that rapid, molecular point-of-care tests can be used in remote settings to accurately detect the presence of Strep A bacterium in just six minutes.

We launched the The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, a powerhouse partnership between Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital. The Wal-yan Centre builds on 30 years of experience where WA’s respiratory researchers have been recognised as amongst the best in the world. Its formation brings together clinicians, scientists and the community, as well as the brightest minds from around the globe to drive a new research agenda for childhood lung health.

Ear health researcher Dr Chris BrennanJones was named Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year at the 2020 Premier’s Science Awards, and received the Woodside STEM Award for Excellence in Science at the Business News 40Under40 Awards.

Our researchers examined the experiences of 435 children with a range of disabilities to explore the influences of functional skills and community participation on quality of life, and found those with higher levels of community participation – at least once a week compared with only a few times in a few months – had higher quality of life scores irrespective of their functioning.

The Australian Paediatric Influenza Immunisation Research Group, which includes Telethon Kids researchers, was one of three finalists for the Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research, presented by the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre at the 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Telethon Kids Institute was named as one of four locations to participate in Australia’s first needle-free, gene-based COVID-19 vaccine study.

Dr Gina Trapp was awarded an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for a unique and innovative project to map every food business and school in Perth to investigate the influence of the food environment – including the location of junk food outlets near schools – on children’s food intake and health.

Telethon Kids Institute researchers were awarded 12 grants under the latest round of funding from the WA Child Research Fund. The projects to receive support under the scheme include research focused on preterm respiratory health, leukaemia, diabetes, rare diseases, rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, autism, ear health and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Research conducted by the Malaria Atlas Project, based at Telethon Kids and Curtin University, found nine out of ten people can reach a hospital or clinic within an hour if they have access to a vehicle or public transport. But for people reliant on walking – predominantly in poorer countries –it’s a different story, with 3.16 billion people across the world unable to reach a healthcare facility within an hour if only able to get there on foot.

Our researchers launched the Hip Hop 2 SToP video featuring school kids participating in their SToP Trial project designed to see, treat and prevent skin infections in WA’s Kimberley region.

Researchers from our Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Perth Children’s Hospital and PathWest found a 98 per cent drop in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a 99.4 per cent reduction in influenza virus detections in WA kids, during winter 2020. COVID-19 pandemic measures including the closure of borders against international travellers, as well as increased hygiene practices and social distancing, significantly reduced transmission of the key seasonal viruses that have a major impact on hospital admissions each winter.

Telethon Kids and UWA researcher Dr Rachael Zemek was one of only 13 early career researchers to be awarded new Forrest Foundation Prospect Fellowships, for her research project aiming to reduce the high rate of relapse in children after cancer surgery.

We launched Beacon – an Australia-first, evidence- and sciencebased cyber safety app designed specifically for parents. The app alerts to the latest information and strategies, tailored to match family profiles based on children’s ages, areas of interest and devices. The app was made possible by a three-year partnership that combines 14 years of cyber behaviour research at Telethon Kids Institute with Bankwest’s digital and cyber safety expertise.

Physical activity researcher Hayley Christian was named WA Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year at the 2020 WA Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.

We joined forces with other leading WA health agencies to call on the State Government to immediately end junk food advertising on government property, following the release of an audit of outdoor food advertising near Perth schools that found that three-quarters of the promotions were for junk food and alcohol.

Our Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre researchers discovered a predatory virus living in Perth’s lakes and rivers that can potentially fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs in children. Researchers are exploring this naturally occurring virus ‘bacteriophage’ with the aim of developing urgently needed alternatives to antibiotics to treat chronic airway infections in people with cystic fibrosis.

Congratulations to Dr Hayley Passmore who was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to investigate better ways to support young people in detention who are affected by neurodisability.

A report released by Telethon Kids in collaboration with Victoria University revealed the significant social and emotional toll of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) – a condition which on average affects one child in every Australian classroom. DCD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in the development of motor coordination.

An international research project to be co-led by the Telethon Kids Institute will use research data from more than one million Australian and Welsh children to help better understand how the built environment affects child health and obesity.

The Yawardani Janga Equine Assisted Learning Program which connects young Aboriginal people with horses – facilitated by a trained practitioner – as a powerful way of supporting participants socially, emotionally and spiritually was awarded a grant from Healthway.

Our research found that using two different types of the whooping cough vaccine could have the added benefit of boosting protection against life-threatening allergies. A review of the cases of 500 children diagnosed with food allergy by specialist allergists over the past 20 years, showed children who had received one or more doses of whole-cell vaccine in the late 1990s were 23 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with a food allergy than those who didn’t.

Our research found children with intellectual disability who underwent gastrostomy –a feeding tube placed into the stomach – had better overall health and fewer hospitalisations for all causes except acute respiratory illnesses.

The world-leading Malaria Atlas Project team, which relocated from Oxford University to Telethon Kids and Curtin University, was awarded a $12 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to dramatically amplify its role in the global bid to eliminate mosquito-borne malaria, which kills around half a million people – mostly children aged under five – worldwide every year.

With The University of Western Australia, we started the Coronavax project, a study designed to build dialogue between the community and government to uncover the conditions necessary for high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.

Our researchers found that children who had Haemophilus influenzae bacteria present in their ear during grommet surgery were three times more likely have re-occurring infections and require repeat procedures to address their ear health issues.

Autism researcher Dr Gail Alvares and digital health professional Ms Bec Nguyen were the recipients of the 2020 Telethon Kids Institute Aspire Award by Business Events Perth, supported by the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In a first-of-its-kind study in metropolitan Perth, our research found close to 40 per cent of Aboriginal babies begin to develop middle ear infections between two and four months of age. By six to eight months of age, this increased to more than 50 per cent, demonstrating the urgent need to prioritise early testing and treatment for Aboriginal children suffering debilitating ear infections, also known as otitis media.

Telethon Kids researchers are leading the WA site of a global respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) investigating whether providing a vaccine to expectant mothers could protect their newborns from RSV when they are most vulnerable.

Twenty-two senior experienced community advocates from around Australia came together to form Australia’s first COVID-19 consumer reference group to ensure the important community voice was included in coronavirus research efforts.

We launched Telethon Kids CONNECT, our new program that honours the many ways our community supports us to make our research great and achieve our vision of happy healthy kids.

Telethon Kids Institute welcomed the approval by the Food Safety Ministers of Australia and New Zealand of the recommended red, black and white mandatory warning label on alcohol products.

Telethon Kids Institute researchers were awarded a grant from MS Research Australia for a project to better understand the relationship between antibodies and inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis, which affects an estimated 1 in 1000 Australians.

16

OUR IMPACT REPORT

At Telethon Kids, impact is one of our strategic pillars.

We will make a measurable difference through our commitment to:

• Research excellence and innovation

• Ensuring research is useful and used

• Closing the gap for Aboriginal kids.

Our annual IMPACT Report showcases the many ways our research is directly and indirectly improving the lives of children and young people, whether by influencing policy and practice, improving the global understanding of disease, collaborating locally, nationally, and internationally, or building capacity within communities to help them prevent disease or tackle it head on.

You can request a printed copy of our IMPACT Report by emailing us at contact@telethonkids.org.au

Or download it now at telethonkids.org.au

TRANSLATION

This research has been actively translated into policy or practice

Djaalinj Waakinj leads to better hearing – and happier kids

Debilitating yet preventable middle ear infections in Australian children disproportionately affect certain groups, including young Aboriginal children. Left untreated, these infections can lead to permanent hearing loss and affect language, education and quality of life – but waiting times for treatment can be brutal, with many kids having to wait up to two years to be seen. Now, an innovative Telethon Kids program is helping to slash waiting times so children can have their ear problems checked within days.

IN THE PIPELINE

This research is in the pipeline towards translation Phage therapy a CF ‘game changer’

Parents of children with cystic fibrosis live in constant fear their children may contract lifethreatening, difficult-to-treat lung infections – but cutting-edge work being undertaken by Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre researchers is offering new hope.

PARADIGM SHIFT

This research changes the very way we think Putting malaria on the map

A global network of researchers led by Kerry M Stokes Chair of Child Health, Professor Pete Gething, is working to help support informed decision-making for malaria control at international, regional and national scales. Together, they are helping countries most affected by deadly malaria use their limited resources for maximum impact.

COLLABORATING FOR IMPACT

This research shows how we work with others to make a difference

Leveraging global lung health expertise to help preterm bubs

In a global collaboration championed and led by award-winning preterm lung health researcher, Dr Shannon Simpson, the world’s leading preterm scientists and doctors have joined forces to help give babies born very prematurely the best possible life.

Western Australia showed its true colours last year. In a world that was suddenly more threatening, frightening and unpredictable in ways we could not have imagined, WA went home. The whole world did. No-one was really sure what sort of impact this pandemic would have on our philanthropic support, so critical to our research. It was a very uncertain time. Like everyone else, Telethon Kids cancelled tours and events and all the ways we love to connect our donors to our researchers and to our work. And like everyone else we learned to ‘Teams’ and ‘Zoom’ and engage with our community as best we could via e-news and through launching our new magazine, Together.

From their homes and when they could, WA started to be inventive about how to keep supporting our community, no matter what. Our donors, individuals, trusts and foundations, corporates and community groups rallied behind us and continued to support our ongoing research: they knew cancer, diabetes and the many diseases our kids confront would not stop for COVID. Others supported our COVID research and our commitment to playing our role in supporting WA kids and their families throughout the pandemic.

We are deeply grateful for this support.

Our donors are vital to our work and are as focused on transformational research and impact as much as we are. Large or small, they make a difference. We are so proud of the primary school fundraiser who wanted to tackle his own anxiety, so created a fundraising page and shared his story – raising $2,000 which he donated to our mental health Embrace researchers. And the family who support one of our respiratory researchers to explore how bacteriophage can provide an urgently needed alternative to antibiotics to treat chronic airway infections in young people with cystic fibrosis – they stay in touch, ask questions and we love their deep interest in what we do. There are so many stories of how our donors connect to our people and our work and we cherish them all.

Our trusts and foundations and our corporate supporters also play a valuable role in supporting our work, funding blue sky thinking, supporting our researchers, and investing in our platforms – but above all trusting us to relentlessly pursue answers to questions that can change the lives of our kids.

We are grateful for your support and we take your investment and trust in us very seriously. Whether you are an employee of one of our funding partners, one of the wonderful foundations that support us, or you made a personal donation or helped raise funds for Telethon Kids, you have made a difference and we thank you and applaud you for being a part of the Telethon Kids story.

A huge thank you to Telethon and to all the people who make it happen – the Trustees and the team, our very special Telethon ambassadors, artists and, of course, the thousands of West Australians who make a donation. Last year was extraordinary and Telethon Kids is extremely proud to be one of more than 60 WA beneficiaries that are supported through Telethon.

We could not do it without you. Whether you support our people, our programs or our platforms, we say thank you.

Principal Partner

Channel 7 Telethon

Elissa Brown

Lesley Brown

Mel Browne

Genevieve Brownhill

Darryl Bruce

Liz Brunt

Dale Buck

Nick Buckley

David Budge

Barbara Bufton

Angela Bunney

Catherine Buntain

Sahani Burah

Katie Burrage

Garry and Cath Burton

Patricia Busch

Holly Butler-Baker

Joshua Campbell

Hayley Cann

Jonathan Carapetis

Michelle Carey

Brooke Carline

Kadie Carlson

Denise Carroll

Claire Carter

Rikki Carter

Tory Casey

Simon Caulfield

Leah Cave

Pasquale Cesare

Peter Chadwick

Young Chae

Liesl Chan

Polly Chan

Linh Chau

Kunnal Chaudhry

Sameer Chauhan

Elizabeth Chester

Sandra Chetwynd

Francesca Chiara Spano

Guan Chou

Mary Choy

Julia Clark and Des Moran

Yvonne Clark

Stuart Clark

Moira Clay and Paul Harris

Deanne and Tony Clifford

Jan and Joe Clynk

Harvey and Lyn Coates

Juli Coffin

John and Merrill Cole

David Colvin

Craig and Lyn Colvin

Mark Connell

Sarah Cook

Helen Cooke

Maggie and Doug Cooper

David and Kate Cooper

Tiz Corda

Terrance Cousins Estate

Jane Crane

Ian Crawford

Stephanie Creber

Donna Cross

Colin Cuffe

Daniel Curley

Candice Cutri

Subin Daniel

Roslyn Davies and John Whyte

Lesley and Peter Davies

Lisa Day

Suran de Alwis

Raquel De Brito

Chloe De Frenne

Laura De Jager

Trevor and Jeanette De Landgrafft

Genelle De Petra

Jarrad De Zilwa

Michelle Del Nero

Caroline Delic

Kyle and Maddie Della Vedova

Rhiannon and Joel DeLuis

Jackie DeLuis

Ashe Denton

Jasleen Dhingra

Sergio Di Vincenzo

Melissa Ditch

Anita and Robert Dixon

Jeff and Mary Dowling

Kate Downie

Lynda and Michael Doyle

Marianne Dravnieks and Brad

Snell

Pierre and Lisa Dreyer

Leah Dudley

Kasia Dudney

Gerry Duke

Brendon Durrant

Emma Dusci

Natalie Eastwell

Barry Edwards and Denise Hickey

Edwin and Amy Benness

Endowment

Rosanna Egan

Yvonne Egan

Sienna El-Azzi

Dan Kristi Elder

Pamela Eldred

Carol and Mick Elias

Adam Elliott

Stephen Elliott

Elizabeth Elliott

Richard Elliott

Sandie Elliott

Chris and Tia Ellison

Lisa Emery

Raelene Endersby

Stephanie Enkel

Stephanie Esakoff

Omar Espinoza Bances

John Evans

Christine Everest

Craig Faulkner

Anita and Ruzario Fernandes

Karen Field

Amy Finlay-Jones

Mathew Fisher

Rod Fitzgerald

Jennie Fitzhardinge

Gregory Fitzpatrick

Samuel Fleming

Sue Fletcher

Kelly Flewers

Sue and Marshall Flower

Shaun, Kristin, Emily and Ava

Ford

Alicia Ford

Kate Fox

Anna Francesca

Abbie Francis

Des and Barbara Franklin

Brett Franklin

Kim Fraser

Jacinta Freeman

Emanuel Frendo

Kate Frusher

Ryoko Fuji

Alma Fulurija

Zane Furnivall

Yvonne Gale

Nisali Gamage

Vikas Garg

Luke Garratt

Katharine Gelle

Rommel Geronimo

Helen Gerrard

Daniel Gianfrancesco

Tammy Gibbs

Jonty Gibbs

Loxy Gibson

Lisa Gibson

Emma Gillespie

Graham Gillett and Tracey

O’Brien

Federici Gino

John Glancy Estate

Diarmuid Gleeson

Kevin Goadsby

Peta Godwin

Girard Good

Ryan and Rachelle Goodchild

Praveen Gopalakrishna

Damian Gordon

Shannon and Chris Gordon

Shelley Gorman

Athol Gorn

Caral Goss

Kylie Gould

Richard and Janine Goyder

Sally Grauaug

Nicole Gray

Loren Green

Ralph Green

Marianna Greenham

Amy Greenly

Joyce Griffiths

Kim Griffiths

Lucio Grisafi

Melissa Groat

Jen Grove

Jamelia Gubgub and David

Wallace

Michael Guelfi

Mark Gummer

Melisa Gunnyon

Sidhartha Gupta

Manu Gupta

Anand and Veena Gupta

Sarah Gusenzow

Lynette Gusenzow

Chris Gusenzow

Anne Guyan

Farzad Habibbeygi

Alec Haesler

Lindy Hagboom

John Haines

Sarah Hall

Jaz Hall

Joanne Hall

Graham Hall

Steven Halvey

Robert Hand

Cherie Hardingham-Braid

Kate Harford

Angela Harris

Michael Harris

Brayden Harris

Lily Harrison

Lesley Hart

Mitch Hartman

Mosleh Hassanein

Malcolm Hawks

Mark and Jemma Hector

Lisa Henderer

Kyah Henderson

Chris Hendy

Alexandra Henriques

Tony Henry

Matt Herbert

Hilary Hii

Greg Hinchliffe

Liam Hodgkinson

Sharon Hofmeester

Mikalya Hollows

Jason Holt

Prudence Honey

Catherine Horlock

Sarah Hough

Raymond Hull

Tamara Hunter

Erin Hurson

Kirsty Hutchinson

Shagufta Tanweer Hyder

Stephen Ince

Mirela Ionascu

Daniel Irvine

Andrew Israel

Jing Ittipattanakul

Margaret and Sam Jackson

John Jacky

Nicole Jacobs

Anil Jain

Mav Jamed

Eve and Henry Stanley

Amanda James

Sarra Jamieson

Elmie Janse Van Rensburg

Michael Jeffries

Vishvas Joglekar

Julie Johnsen

Aaron Johnson

Kyah Johnson

Caleb Joice

Rishab Jolly

Diane Rose Jones

Mark and Lou Jones

Sonia Jones

Margie Jorgensen

Tenneale Jowsey

Margaret Joyce

Ian Kealley

Diane Keenan

Damon Keizer

Nivedita Kelkar

Bridget and Brian Kellett

Robin Kent

John Keogh

Mary Kepert

Dirk Keuneman

Sonia Khanna

Sandeepa Khanna

Ankit Khare

Denise Kiff

Michael and Katherine King

Heddy and Alfred King

Bindi-Ann King

Orla King

Billy Kipsaina

Alice Kirby

Nick Klomp

Marina Knoote

Nelly Amenyogbe

Lina Kornelius

Lea Korsgaard

Richard Krasnoff

Sonia Kruger

Ashok Kumar

Yaosdha Kunalan

Nina L

Jenny La

Dodge Lachlan

Alexander Larcombe

Jennifer Last

Scotty Latta

Saskia Law

Kristy Le May

Adele Leahy

Kay Lee

Michael Lee

Ann Lefroy

Deborah Lehmann and Michael

Alpers

Tamlyn Lennox

Karen Leong-McArthur

Joost Lesterhuis

Crystal Leung

James Lewin

Amanda Lewis

Shakara Liddelow-Hunt

Yao Qiang Liew

Rebekah Light

Anthony Lim

Kathleen Lim

Ashleigh Lin

Natasha Lindfield

David Lindsay

Ellen Lintjens

Kath Lister

Rebecca Liyanage

Huw Lock

Chris Lockwood

Robyn Logan

Nelson Loh and Tee Ching Hun

Francis J Longhurst Estate

Jan and David Lord

Tania Lourensz

Lyla Lowry

Sanet Ludik and PJ Muller

Ian and Joanne Ludlow

Lauren Macdougall

Barbara Macnish and John Morgan

Marion Macnish

Steven Mai

Sabrina Maineri

Abbie Major

Vincent Mancini

Jenn Manna

Chris Mannolini

Greg Mansfield

Astral Mansfield

Judith Marinoni

Joyce Marrell

Carolyn Marrell

Paul, Dawn and Saxon Marrell

Moya Martin

Graham Martin

Paul Martin

David Martino

Benjamin Maslen

Patrick Maslen

Stewart Massey

Monica Matisons

Patricia Matowitz

Cindy Mayers

Cassidy McAlpine

Denise McComish

Pauline and John McEvoy

Rikke McGlew

Gavan McGrath

Sonya McGrath

Phil McIlree

Tim and Carolyn McInnis

Lisa McLachlan

Tara McLaren

Valerie and David McMahon

Catherine McMillan

Chris McMullen

Scott McPhee and Cassandra

Khoo

Rob McPherson

Craig McPherson

Peta and Paul McVittie

Tracey Meares

Sue Medalia

Roland Meili

Zara Merchant

Sokhary Meredith

Sue Miers

Snjezana Mihajlovic

Kim and Wendy Miles

Ebony and Sheldon Miller

Annette Miller

Jayden Mills

Emma and Mitch Miolini

Praveena Mittal

Udita Mittal

Umanng Mittal

Janice Moffat

Fiona Mofflin

Marsita Mohd Saad

Simon Moir

Jameson Moloney

Elena Monaco

Julia Moore

Greg and Dixie Moore

Nicki Morrison

Rachel Mortimer

Peter Moxham

Trish and Sandy Moyle

Ina MSalleh

Jane Muirsmith and Kynan Smith

Shin Mukai

Nath Muller

Danny and Sue Murphy

Kanika Nayar

Giada Negri

Antonette Neri

Joanna Ng

Anne Nguyen

Theresa Nguyen

Daniel Norman

Alicia and Alessandra Noviskey

Margaret and Ian Nowak

Coral and Michael O’Donnell

Nicole O’Connor and Ped

Ristic

Katie O’Donnell

Halima Olakareem

Lisa Oliver

Ann O’Mahoney

Jerome O’Malley

Joyce Oommen

Manish Pal

Yogendra Pal

Lorraine Palmer

Nicole Palmer

Elizabeth Palmer

Eugenia Paola

Lisa Paradiso

Louella Paramor

Renae Pares

Joan Park

Cacille Parkin

Kim Parkin

Leeanne Parsons

Eva Passalaqua

Sheila Patel

Ray Payne

Glenn Pearson

Rob Peatling

Sean Pender

Gladymar Perez

Claire Perrozzi

Nathan Bennett and Yael

Perry

Jim Petrie

Shelley Petruzio

Catherine Pfammatter

Marco Pham

John Dewar Phillips

Estate

Michelle Phillips

Claire Philpot

Janessa Pickering

Elizabeth Piesse

Monique Pike

Kate Pilmoor

Danielle Pinelli

Ryan Pinto

Marc Pinto

Kristy Plotecki

Yaso Ponnuthurai

Jade Poulter

Seve Pratico

Sharne Pretorius

Alison Price

Dave and Denise Prigent

Gail Pringle

Ali Prior

Lisa Puertollano

Milena Puglisi

Debra Purdy

Phil Raffan

James Rai

Morgan Ralph

Deekshanth Rameshkumar

Mrinalini Ranjan

Jennifer Rankin

Joy Rankine

Richard Reading

Trish Reardon

Mitchell Reardon

Shaun Rees

Bert and Andrea Reuter

Dianne Rhodes

Tino and Chase Riccio

Melanie Rifici

Gill Riley

Natalie Risden

Mirjana Riskas

Denby Roberts and John

Georgiades

Kate Roberts

Alison Roberts

Sasha Roberts-Smith

Libby and Grant Robinson

Monique Robinson

Stuart and Christine Robinson

Tiffany and Cameron Rochester

Eunice Rodriguez

Rogalski Family

Bronwyn Rogers

Donna Rolfe

Donna Rothwell

David Ruland

Susan Rumisha

Chloe Rushmere

Kylie and Michael Russell

Georgina Russo

Gabrielle Ryan

Watanabe Saagale

Vineeta Sachdev

Aarti Saiganesh

Prema and Jaggu Saklani

Soren Salehi

Holle Sally

Ganesh Saminathan

Andrew Sanders

Nancy and Ilario Saraco

Larissa Sarich

Atul and Padmini Saxena

Myra, Ayushi & Anmol Saxena

Liliana Scacchi

Lee Schaeche-Odine

Kathleen Schilling

Ashley Schoof

Nikki Schultz

Jane Scott

Jason Scott

Brooklyn Scott

Leanne Scott

Steve Scudamore and Anne Last

Julie Scull

Muthu Magesan Seetharaman

Deepali Shah

Sourabh Shakti

Donna Shanhun

Prashant Shankar

Manisha Shankar

Sonakshi Sharma

Therese Shaw

Anand Sheth

Mai Shimizu

Ezat and Forouzan Shojaei

Tameeka Silk

Madeline Silvester

Shanker Singh

Jacinta Sirr-Williams

Audrey Sjepcevich

Elyse Slater

Emma and Danial Smart

Jacob Smith

Grant Smith

Kim and Jenny Sorensen

Darcy Spence

Raymond Spry

Tarryn Stain

Robert and Jennifer StaniforthSmith

Fiona Stanley

Claire Stevens

Kate Steward

Stephen Stick

Kerry Stokes and Christine Simpson Stokes

Bryant Stokes

Emma Stone

Penelope Strauss

Angela Strong

Anthony Stroud

Berti Sullivan

Allyssha Sutherland-Scott

Wayne Swindells

Asyia Syafaati

David Talalla

Robyn Tamke

Shirley Tan

Ashley Tank

Jesseca Tarasiewicz

Shauna Taylor

Juliana Teng

Barbara Terrell

Bernice Thomas Estate

David and Rachel Thomas

Kelly Thomas

James Thompson

Graham and Dianne Thorne

John Thornton

Diane Thornton

Bridget Tombleson

Stace Tompsett

Anthony Torresan

Bill and Belinda Townsend

Susan and Ian Trahar Household

Morgan Tremayne

Lee Trewartha

Jodie Trezise

Rebecca Trowman

Heidi Trueman

Lan Truong

Zsofia Turcsanyi

Katie Turner

Natalie Turner

Nathan Turner

David and Margaret Twohig

Sonal Uban

Michelle Underwood

Naveen Unni

Sandra Vagg

Hannah Vallance

Leon Valli

Barbara Van Trigt

Daksh Varma

Geraldine Vaughan

Belinda Vaughan

Jacqueline Venter

Vincenzio Vesnaver

Robert Vigolo

Rena Vithiatharan

Naomi Vodanovich

Justin and Liz Vohland

Archer Vulinovic

Janine Waide

Sean Wain

Emma Wakeley

Jenny Walters

Julia Walters

James Warburton

Michelle Ward

Anita Warner

Zoe Waters

Rebecca Watkinson

Neil Watson

Leon and Kay Watt

Paul Watt

Jen Webb

Maureen Webster

Fiona Wee

Shane Wee

Jules Weeks

Deb Wernham

Alwyn William Werrell

Joan Westaway

Deb Weston

Kym and Dylan Wheildon

Natalie White

Valerie White

Nicole Wickens

Varuni Wijewardane

Joern Wilke

Teresa Williams

Denison Williams

Anna Williams

Nikita Willis

Kate Wills

Lyndall Wills

Ben Wilson

Patricia Wilson

Amanda Wilson

Wayde Winkler

Caroline Winwood

Bill and Debbie Withers

Margaret and Brendan Wood

Nick Wood

Alix Woolard

Woolcock Family

Carmen Woolhouse

Phillip Worthington

Connie Wu

Rhonda Wyllie and Jeffrey Browne

Daniel Yeap

Mat Yeomans

Rob Young

Denis Yu

Jack Zahra

Viatcheslav Zalomski

Aleisha Zappia

Eva Zellman

Yuan Zhang

Anonymous (150)

Angus has ridiculously good taste in music and leaves a lasting impression with every conversation. Read Angus’ story at telethonkids30.org.au

Ruby’s spirited, mischievous, funloving nature is an equal match for Lenny’s endless bounce and affection. Read Ruby’s story at telethonkids30.org.au

30 Philanthropic, Private and Not For Profit - Donations, Sponsorships, Grants and Contracts

TOTAL INCOME $96,171,349

Commercial Income

Bequests

Investment Returns Other Income

TOTAL EXPENSES $90,330,124

64.5%

Public IncomeGrants and Contracts

35.5%

Northern Entrance, Perth Children’s Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands WA 6009 PO Box 855, West Perth Western Australia 6872

T | 08 6319 1000

E | contact@telethonkids.org.au

W | telethonkids.org.au

PRINCIPAL PARTNER