Friends of Rosie continues its inspiring work on children’s cancer research initiatives

April 5, 2023

Congratulations to Friends of Rosie, Exchange Chambers’ official charity, for its inspiring work on children’s cancer research initiatives.

When five-year-old Rosie Larkin lost her battle with cancer in 1991, her friends and family were determined to carry on the fight and set up the Friends of Rosie Children’s Cancer Research Fund.  So far, the charity has funded research projects covering a wide variety of childhood cancers from neuroblastoma and leukaemia, to osteosarcoma and brain tumours.

Over the past 12 months, Friends of Rosie has funded research at The University of Manchester looking at ways to decrease the risk of facial disfiguration in children with cancers in the head and neck.

The aim of the research is to develop a new method of measuring changes in a child’s face when they’ve received radiotherapy. The team have looked at the use of routine images acquired as part of a child’s follow-up appointments, as well as measuring facial asymmetry in such a way as to link it to the radiotherapy the child has received.

Friends of Rosie has also joined forces with another like-minded charity, Megan’s Rose of Hope, to fund research into the use of a revolutionary new blood test to diagnose Ewing Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.

In 1 in 4 children or young people with Ewing Sarcoma there is little chance of survival because the cancer has already spread by the time it is detected with present methods.  The research is taking place at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Exchange Chambers’ partnership with Friends of Rosie will run until 2024.  Last year, our annual charity ball raised £20,000 for the charity.