Support for multiple myeloma research

Lee Virgin Fund

A family man with a love for footy, Lee Virgin was known as a great leader with a tremendous loyalty to the North Adelaide Football Club - which he had followed since he was a child.

Dedicated and highly respected by the club, he was a long-standing Board member and became Vice President and later President.

In July 2020, aged 66, Lee passed away after a private and brave battle with multiple myeloma - an aggressive and difficult to treat blood cancer.

During his battle, Lee sought medical support from Flinders University’s Associate Professor Bryone Kuss, who is dedicated to improving the treatment and care for patients with blood cancer, including multiple myeloma.

Michael, Alex, Elissa, Robyn & Lee Virgin

Associate Professor Kuss is the academic head of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at Flinders University and the clinical head of Haematology and Molecular Genetics at SA Pathology, Flinders Medical Centre.

“The dream of a cancer treatment that does not require chemotherapy is becoming a reality for some patients with the advent of molecularly targeted therapies,” says Associate Professor Kuss.

Survived by his wife Robyn and children Michael, Alexandra and Elissa, Lee’s family now hope to bring awareness to the insidious disease and to raise funds to support the vital research at Flinders University.

“We are committed to continuing the work he started before being taken, following a long and brave battle with multiple myeloma,” says Lee’s son Michael Virgin.

Flinders University has created the Lee Virgin Fund to directly support the work led by Associate Professor Kuss to improve treatments, care and outcomes for those suffering from multiple myeloma.

Donations to the fund from Lee’s friends and supporters have already reached $25,000, but the family hopes to achieve $50,000 by the end of the year.

"I can't thank everyone enough for their generosity in supporting research into multiple myeloma," says Michael. "To the North Adelaide and Glenelg footy clubs and all our family and friends - your support means the world to us."

Donate today to help provide better therapies to treat multiple myeloma patients, minimise harmful side effects and improve patient outcomes. 100% of your tax-deductible donation will fund valuable research into multiple myeloma at Flinders University.

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