We are members of EURODIS via the Uveitis information Group. We would like to ask our members to consider signing an appeal in support of the Telethon. Over 1,800 people have already signed and it is of utmost importance to reach 5,000 signatures!

The Telethon is organised by the AFM, the French Muscular Dystrophy Association. Although the Telethon is run in their name it raises over 100 million euros for research and services to aid the lives of people living with Rare Diseases generally.

Certain groups have for some time declared that the French Telethon supports only one disease area, this is not true. The AFM Telethon contributes yearly to the French Rare Disease Alliance, EURORDIS and Orphanet, it supports vital services and funds medical research programmes covering many rare diseases. In fact a number of European researchers work in collaboration with those funded through the Telethon, so any threat to this event will impact on the development of rare disease research right across the continent and beyond.

Thanks to the AFM Telethon:

• 2,700 genes identified
• 34 clinical trials ongoing

With this in mind, we ask you to sign our appeal at
http://telethon.soutien.eurordis.org/en