Cycling for Sophia 2 & 3 March 2024

Cycle for children with an immune disease

Cycling for Sophia will take place on the weekend of March 2 and 3, 2024. The cycling marathon for the Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital. During the weekend you can cycle individually or in a team in a block of your choice, with the aim of collecting as many donations as possible for charity. Are you cycling too? Apply now!

Major impact on life
This edition we cycle for children with an immune disease. Having an immune disease limits many children from daily activities such as sports and going to school. In addition, living with such a chronic illness can cause anxiety, depression or even behavioral problems due to the challenges the disease brings. Frequent and long-term use of medication can also cause side effects. Having an immune disease brings a lot of uncertainty because the course can be very unpredictable and accompanied by peaks and valleys. This makes it very difficult to plan daily life.

What is an immune disease?
A healthy body has good protection mechanisms against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. We also call this our immune system. If parts of this system do not work properly, this can lead to an immune disease. Your immune system also attacks the healthy cells in your body and this makes you sick. There are many different immune diseases. Examples include: chronic intestinal inflammation, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease (hypersensitivity to gluten), juvenile rheumatism, sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, an intestinal disorder that mainly occurs in premature children. Making the correct diagnosis and finding the best treatment can take a long time.

The solution is near!
A new technique has recently been developed that makes it possible to determine the body's response to a particular drug by examining 96 proteins in one drop of blood. The technology in this so-called 'protein analysis device' is very sensitive, precise and fast. The Sophia Children's Hospital wishes to purchase this device itself. The first children's hospital in the Netherlands!

A better future for children with an immune disease
With the innovative protein analysis device, researchers at the Sophia Children's Hospital can better predict which medicine works for which patient and what the course of the immune disease will be. This way they can really help the child and his/her environment and offer more security for the future. The technique can also be used with the smallest babies, because only one small drop of blood is needed. Once the researchers have the device at their disposal, they can start immediately. More research can also be done into the effects of this technique and its potential for other conditions, so that it can hopefully provide a solution for as many sick children as possible in the future. We desperately need your support to purchase this new device.

Will you also help? Register for Cycling for Sophia 2024!