Scientist and co-founder of lmnacardiac.org, Rogier Veltrop, and 19-year-old Luc März both have rare, hereditary gene mutations that can lead to heart failure. In Rogier’s case, it ultimately resulted in a donor heart. Luc was diagnosed at age 13 and received a defibrillator at 16, after having already lost his father at the age of 8 due to ARVC. This has had a huge impact on theirlives.
1.5 million people in the Netherlands suffer from some form of heart failure. Rogier has dedicated his life as a molecular cell biologist to finding a solution and tackles the cause of heart failure in his laboratory using personalized stem cells. With a breakthrough, he can not only save Luc but all genetic heart failure patients. This brings hope not only for life but also for the entire healthcare system and its associated costs! A lot of money is needed for his heart failure research.
Therefore, Luc’s mother, Fraukje, along with Rogier, is constantly looking for new activities to financially push Rogier’s research further.
For example, on April 19th, Landgoed Schinvelderhoeve in beautiful South Limburg (Netherlands) was “the place to be” for a wonderful benefit evening. Rogier talked about his research, followed by an exquisitely arranged dinner, and then the Dutch band HAEVN contributed to an incredibly intimate concert. Their new single was presented for the first time to the select audience, and many well-known songs that have already moved thousands of people in European concert halls were played. HAEVN now has more than 0.5 million followers on Spotify and their concerts in many European cities (certainly in the Netherlands) sell out quickly. “It was an intimate evening that perfectly matched the location, the background, and you as people,” was frequently said to the two organizers at the farewell. “An emotional evening NEVER to forget,” were Fraukje’s telling words.
This benefit concert was an action for the Heart and Vascular Research Fund Limburg, fundraiser for, among others, Rogier Veltrop’s project. The action is still open for donations.
Rogier and Fraukje are certainly not sitting still and have just applied for their next project grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation.
Please support Rogier’s research!
