The 28th edition of the telethon was a real success. In 2013, the Telethon had posted 78.3 million pledges at the end of the 30 hours of live television and collected more than 89 million euros in the end. In 2014, the 28th telethon ended Saturday night with more than 82 million euros in pledges, more than in 2012 and 2013.
“Even if we always hope to do as well, even if the French have shown us every year that they are faithful, we always tremble when we set the counter to zero”, explained to AFP, Laurence Tiennot-Herment, president of the AFM-Telethon. “This figure is exceptional, as is the generosity of the French, in this difficult period”, she added, rejoicing at “the support of the entire population, throughout the territory, because everywhere there was a demonstration”. “It also responds to a need, because the Telethon conveys positive values, of gathering and conviviality”, she concluded.
Donations help fund research into rare diseases, a sector where trials of new therapies have multiplied, costing several million euros. The Telethon supports 300 research programs and 31 therapeutic trials concerning rare diseases. They concern around twenty orphan diseases affecting the blood, brain, muscles, liver and even sight. At the end of 2013, a new gene therapy trial started in children suffering from Sanfilipo’s disease, an extremely severe and incurable neurodegenerative disease.
Rare diseases in figures
There are 6000 to 8000 rare genetic diseases. Most are serious, chronic, disabling and life threatening from childhood. 3 million people are affected in France, and 30 million in Europe. And 2/3 of patients wait between 1 and 5 years before being diagnosed.
Donations, tax deductible at 66%, can still be made all week by telephone (36 37) or all year round on the website of the Telethon.
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