If you’ve been watching Channel 10’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, you may have seen NeuRA mentioned a couple of times!
Rhonda Burchmore, one of Australia’s biggest theatre stars, has selected NeuRA as her charity of choice for the series.
This means that keeping Rhonda in till the end and crowning her ‘Queen of the Jungle’ will result in NeuRA receiving a $100,000 donation.
How can I support Rhonda and NeuRA at the same time?
1. Vote by SMS Save Rhonda!
To keep your Rhonda in the jungle, SMS ‘Rhonda’ to 1995 10 10.
Each SMS will cost $0.55 cents, and a portion of this is donated to NeuRA. So each text supports us as well!
2. Vote on social media for a Trial
To help Rhonda get as much time on the show, you can vote for her to feature in a ‘Tucker Trial’, which will help her to take part in a physical challenge. More airtime means more time for viewers to get to know and love Rhonda! Visit the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Facebook and Twitter pages to vote – remember to vote with #CelebRhonda.
Rhonda’s support for neuroscience research
Rhonda is supporting NeuRA following personal tragedy. She watched her sister’s body shut down after she was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called multiple system atrophy (MSA).
The rare disorder causes degeneration in several parts of the brain. It means that people with MSA slowly lose all mobility until they are only able to blink or move a finger.
“It’s the sneakiest disease. My sister began walking with a funny gait, but she had no clue and thought it was a chiropractic thing,” Rhonda said.
“There is no cure for MSA. The saddest part is that the last thing to go was my sister’s the brain, which meant she was aware right to the end about what was going on. It was the cruellest disease I’ve ever seen, especially as she was so healthy and a beautiful young dancer in her prime,” Rhonda said.
“I’m supporting NeuRA because of their work to support MSA research. One day, I hope that researchers can help find better treatments and possibly even a cure for MSA.”
Rhonda and her sister Michelle
MSA research at NeuRA
NeuRA is supporting MSA research through the Sydney Brain Bank. The bank collects the brains of people who have died from MSA and supports studies in Australia and around the world that are looking into what causes MSA and how it can be treated.
Sadly, Rhonda’s family has grappled with several neurological conditions. She lost her father to Parkinson’s and her mother has dementia. NeuRA is also committed to making new discoveries to help treat these diseases.
