On Saturday 22 November 85 guests joined us on teh top floor of the Baker IDI building for a cocktail to help raise funds for Orthostatic Intolerance.
Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute were delighted to be working alongside Tegan Gardiner on what was a successful evening of entertainment and fundraising! Tegan, 19, helped to organise the event ‘Cocktails for a Cause’ which raised $20,000 towards research into Orthostatic Intolerance, of which she is a sufferer. Tegan has been resolute in her quest to help us to further examine the illness, and also help other sufferers who would benefit from the development of effective treatments.
Greg Page, the former yellow Wiggle is also a sufferer of Orthostatic Intolerance was the host for the evening that included a silent tender auction, music, food and of course… cocktails!
“Hi my name is Tegan Gardiner and I am organising “Cocktails for a Cause” to raise much needed funds for research into Orthostatic Intolerance.
For the past five years I have been suffering with an illness, which causes me to faint on a regular basis as well as many other symptoms including fatigue, nausea and dizziness.
The condition is unknown to most of the population, but has recently had some recognition with an article in the Woman’s Day magazine (23 June 2008) about former yellow Wiggle, Greg Page who is also a sufferer of this debilitating illness known as Orthostatic Intolerance. As you may be aware, Greg was forced to leave his successful career with the Wiggles because of this condition, and for many other people (like myself) it can have devastating effects on their social lives as well as their ability to work.
According to doctors that specialize in syncope and Orthostatic Intolerance, an incredible 30,000 Australians have this disorder – 1.4 per cent of the population. The disorder is not fatal but symptoms can be devastating and debilitating. At its worst patients cannot drive, work, socialize or go out by themselves - Greg and I both know this from first-hand experience.
Recently, Dr Gautam Vaddadi from the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute won the prestigious 2008 Ralph Reader Prize for Clinical Science for his fantastic work in understanding the neurobiology of Orthostatic Intolerance. The failure of modern medical science to effectively diagnose and treat this disabling condition is reflective of a limited understanding of the different types of Orthostatic Intolerance. The work undertaken by Dr Vaddadi, Professor Murray Esler and their team at Baker IDI represents the most novel work in this field for many years. Their research provides new insight into the reason why recurrent fainting occurs at a biochemical and cellular level. This understanding is the key first step in assisting the institute in developing effective treatments for this challenging condition.
Together, Greg and I are organising a fundraiser, “Cocktails for a Cause” to raise money for Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute to enable them to further research into Orthostatic Intolerance. Greg will be MC for the evening, which will include an auction of memorabilia and other items, to assist in raising much needed funds.
So come along and have a cocktail with us and help raise funds for research into Orthostatic Intolerance. I’m sure you will have a great night with silent auctions and raffles drawn throughout the night.
Hope to see you there!”
Tegan Gardiner