Jeans for Genes Week 2021
This week, from Monday 13th to Sunday 19th of September, we will be supporting Jeans for Genes Week, an annual campaign that aims to raise awareness of the challenges people living with a genetic disorder face and help raise funds to support their research for finding treatments.
How did Jeans for Genes begin?
In 1991, the CGD Society was registered as a charity by Paul Numan, who wanted to find a cure for his son, who had Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), a genetic disorder that occurs when a specific type of white blood cell doesn’t work in the body to fight infections. The first UK Jeans for Genes campaign began in 1992 when the CDG Society contacted 20,000 schools in the UK to educate them about genetic disorders and asked them to work together to raise money to support their research.
Who does Jeans for Genes support?
Jeans for Genes use the money they raise to fund research to help diagnose and find cures for genetic conditions that affect children. Around one in 25 children are affected by a genetic disorder in the UK. Some genetic disorders are apparent at birth. Others can be diagnosed at different stages of a child’s life, sometimes adulthood. There are currently over 6000 genetic disorders that exist. You can view a list of the most common ones on the National Human Genome Research Institute website.
What is the importance of Jeans for Genes Week?
Jeans for Genes Week helps bring people together to share the issues that matter to them, shine a light on organisations that work to improve the lives of those affected and celebrate the achievements of people living with a genetic disorder.
How can I get involved with Jeans for Genes Week?
There is a range of ways you can take part in Jeans for Genes Week. The charity has created its own social media and fundraising toolkits that you can download from their website. You can also wear jeans for a day and donate to the charity to help them with their research and support their goal of ‘changing lives’.
At Pulse Nursing at Home, we are always supporting events and campaigns throughout the year. To keep up to date with what we’re up to, follow our LinkedIn and Facebook pages.