I am writing with some exciting news that might be of interest to your readers and will raise awareness of a rare condition.
TOWIE's Kelsey Stratford's younger sister has a very rare neuromuscular condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Kelsey is hosting a fundraising event at the Ivy in Soho on the 18th August to raise funds for the charity, SMA UK.
She has an exclusive guest list attending on the night.
Please see press release below and an image attached.
If you would like any further quotes or images please do no hesitate to get in touch - my details are below.
Many thanks,
Lucy de'Lemos
Head of Communications and Fundraising, Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK
TOWIE’s Kelsey Stratford to
host event for her sister in aid of SMA UK
Former TOWIE star Kelsey
Stratford is hosting a glamorous evening of fundraising this Thursday (18th
August) to raise money for Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK (SMA UK).
Kelsey, who is an ambassador
for the charity, is hoping to raise as much as possible to help support those
affected by SMA, like her 9-year-old sister Kennedy.
SMA is a genetically inherited
condition which causes muscle weakness and until recently, there were no
treatments available. However, three
potential treatments have been made available by pharmaceutical companies over
the past five years and, thanks to the advocacy of charities like SMA UK, these
are now available to some patients through the NHS.
Kelsey says “I am really
excited to be holding this event for a cause that is so close to mine and my
families hearts. I hope that we can
raise awareness about Kennedy’s condition as well as some money which will help
others like her.”
The event falls in SMA
Awareness Month and will help SMA UK to spread the word about their most recent
campaign, which is calling for newborn screening for SMA to be introduced in
the UK.
Charity CEO Angela Smith-Morgan
explains why this is so important “To ensure the best possible reaction to treatment,
it is essential that babies are treated for SMA before symptoms develop, by
which point damage to neurons is irreversible. Newborn screening is the
quickest route to a diagnosis of SMA and should be introduced today. The UK
lags behind many other European countries and babies are missing this critical
treatment window.”
If you would like to donate
and support Kelsey’s fundraising please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SMA-UK-Kennedy-Foundation or to
find out more about SMA UK and the campaign for newborn screening go to https://smauk.org.uk/newborn-screening-sma
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Contact: Lucy on Lucy.delemos@smauk.org.uk
Website: www.smauk.org.uk
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare, genetically inherited neuromuscular condition. It causes progressive muscle weakness and loss of movement due to muscle wasting (atrophy). SMA is passed from parents to their children through the SMN1 gene which is carried by approximately 1 in 40 people in the UK.
SMA UK Registered Charity Number: 1106815
Company Limited By Guarantee Number: 5137534