Due to the ever increasing number of cases of NETs and lack of resources it was with great excitement that last week a Trans-Tasman Alliance was launched through the establishment of the Unicorn Foundation New Zealand website www.unicornfoundation.org.nz.
Unicorn Foundation New Zealand (UFNZ) is affiliated and closely linked to Unicorn Foundation Australia (UFAUS), however, is an independently established and managed organisation.
We would like to thank Siobhan Conroy for all the hard work and time she has put into getting UFNZ off the ground. She has worked tirelessly in raising awareness about NETs within the medical community in New Zealand as well as on the website and patient support. The medical community play a vital role in gaining access to treatments for NET patients, and increasing our knowledge about this cancer through their clinical research. For this we would like to thank the UFNZ medical advisory board for volunteering their time and experience by partnering with us in providing the best possible patient support and best possible outcomes for NZ patients with NETs.
Thank you also to Karen Jones who will be helping run the patient support groups with the first one on June 15 in Auckland and then August 24 in Wellington. Peer to peer support is crucial and we hope to get more volunteers as we look to more dates and locations.
We look forward to working with our New Zealand friends in the sharing of resources, experience and in creating a greater voice for NET patients in our part of the world.