Kanata gala raises $226,000 for rare genetic disease cure
Jack's Gala brought together over 200 supporters to fund research for SPG4, which is slowly paralyzing a nine-year-old boy.
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A Kanata family fighting to find a cure for their son's rare genetic disease raised $226,000 at a gala Saturday evening — bringing them closer to funding human clinical trials that could change his life.
Jack Laidlaw, nine, was diagnosed in 2023 with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Type 4 (SPG4), a progressive genetic disease with no current cure or treatment. The condition slowly paralyzes people through neuron degeneration in the brain. Jack dreams of becoming an astronaut and the first person to walk on Mars — a goal his family is determined to make possible.
Parents Anna and Richard Laidlaw hosted their second gala, 'Reaching for the Stars – a Night of Hope,' at the Brookstreet Hotel. Over 200 family members, friends, and supporters attended the lavish fundraiser, which was themed around space travel. The evening featured Stittsville pianist Tyler Kealey volunteering to play during cocktail hour, with Derek Fage returning as MC and Stewart James as auctioneer.
Special guest Dr. Dave Williams, a celebrated Canadian emergency physician and former Canadian Space Agency astronaut, shared stories from his extraordinary career. Williams has completed two Space Shuttle missions, executed three spacewalks, and previously served as director of space and life sciences at NASA.
Just before the gala, nine-year-old Liam Liu — Jack's best friend — held a week-long lemonade stand ending with a porch concert, raising more than $10,000 for the SPG4 cause.
All proceeds will fund groundbreaking SPG4 research to support discovery of the world's first cure for the disease. Researchers are developing gene therapy that requires funding to advance to human clinical trials, and the family is racing against time so Jack can participate before further paralysis sets in.