The RUN DIPG story

Serious and terminal illnesses are sadly, ever present in our community. We applaud all the health professionals, scientific researchers, carers and volunteers who work with the sick and injured on a daily basis. Many of our staff volunteer in some capacity and today, we want to share the story of Sydney Employment Law Principal, Joe Kennedy and his amazing brother and niece.

Joe is a founder and Director of RUN DIPG. His brother Matt, is a cancer researcher and Matt’s daughter Josie (Joe’s niece) has a life threatening illness.

What is RUN DIPG?

RUN DIPG is a charitable organisation dedicated to improving treatment outcomes for children diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). DIPG is the deadliest form of childhood cancer with an average survival rate of just nine months following diagnosis.

RUN DIPG funds critical medical research into DIPG, coordinated by Dr Matt Dun, Joe’s brother, a cancer researcher at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the University of Newcastle.

Matt’s daughter, Josephine was diagnosed with DIPG in 2018; the deadly disease with an average survival rate of just ten months post-diagnosis.

RUN DIPG’s researchers are focused on investigating ways to identify and characterise markers of disease progression, testing new drug therapies and designing treatment strategies to improve survival rates. They actively profile DIPG tumours using sophisticated technologies, which enables them to identify how each DIPG grows and survives, revealing targets for improved treatments.

Matt and Josie’s battle with DIPG and their amazing story has also been highlighted in the media. The article highlights the incredible and dedicated work of Matt and his research team, which is funded by the charity initiatives delivered by dedicated and passionate volunteers.

At Hall Payne we’re proud to support RUN DIPG. Joe hopes that the charity can continue to grow and ultimately, continue to deliver the much needed funding and support to see development of better treatment and perhaps even a cure for DIPG for all those diagnosed with this particularly aggressive cancer.

We encourage you, our clients, colleagues, friends and followers, to find out more about the incredible work of RUN DIPG and consider supporting this important cause.