NEWS

23.1.2013 Welsh Thalidomide survivors to receive £7.5m support Click here 20.12.2012 Norther Ireland Supports the Thalidomide Health Grant Click Here 20.12.2012 Scotland Supports the Thalidomide Health Grant Click here The Scottish Government funding will help the 58 known thalidomide survivors in Scotland - The money will be distributed on a needs bases through the Thalidomide Trust, based on their established assessment criteria.  Health Secretary Alex Neil said: The Scottish Government provided £3.4 million over three years from 2010 to help those affected by Thalidomide.   20.12.2012 The English Department of Health has confirmed to the Thalidomide Trust that it will continue to fund our Health Grant. An announcement was made this morning in the House of Commons following a press briefing at the Department of Health today. The Government have committed themselves to pay around £7.3 million in 2013 (which represents an increase of around 9.6% over the present grant). The second generation Health Grant will begin in 2013, just as the current grant runs out and will be paid for the next 10 years, after which point there will be a review. Furthermore, each year the grant will be increased in line with inflation. The renewed grant represents a recognition of our increasing health needs and the rising costs of living with thalidomide. None of this would have been achieved without everybody’s input and support and this truly is a phenomenal result. Well done everyone. Discussions are still continuing with the devolved departments, although we have just received the news that the Scottish Parliament have matched the English grant. We will bring you news from other regions of the UK as soon as we receive it.Click here for the official statement 15.11.2012 Scottish news – Meeting with Alex Neil, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and the Thalidomide Trust Click here to read more 6.11.2012 English News - Meeting with Norman Lamb the Minister of State for Care Services and the Thalidomide Trust Click here to read more 13.11.2012 American News: six victims of thalidomide filed a complaint, Philadelphia's Court v GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Grunenthal http://goo.gl/nRKbz 01.09.2012 Thalidomide survivors reject 'insincere' apology from Grunenthal drug company click here to see news clip 12.07.2012 Australian News: Good news from Australia for Thalidomide victim Lynette Rowe click here to read more 10.07.2012 Irish News : The Irish Thalidomide Association takes legal action. click here to read more 07.05.2012 BBC World News - Thalidomide victims plea for permanent health grant http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17984159# 06.05.2012 The Sunday Times - The Legacy of Thalidomide 50 years on click here to read more 21.04. 2012 The Labour peer and campaigner for disabled rights Lord Ashley of Stoke has died, aged 89. click here to read more 27.02.2011 FT.com article Andrew Jack in London Johnson & Johnson, the US healthcare company, faces the threat of a consumer boycott from campaigners who suffered birth defects 50 years ago caused by the morning sickness drug thalidomide. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/J-J-faces-thalidomide-boycott-ftimes-3891389396.html?x=0 16.02.2011 The Stop the Tears campaign launched today with a new website and Facebook page. By reaching people online the campaign aims to highlight the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies to compensate the thalidomide survivors. http://www.stoptears.org/ 29.10.2010 Australian and New Zealand thalidomiders taking a class action against Chemie Grunenthal - Click here to read the full story 29 07 2010 Austrialian Thalidomide will share in a $50 million compensation payout Click here to read the full story 09.02.2010 BBC - £1.1m for thalidomide sufferers - click here to read the full story 05.02.2010 Canada Globe and Mail - " Cursed by 'miracle drug,' thalidomide victims wait for Canada's apology " Click here to read the full story 14.01.2010 Statement on support for Thalidomide survivors by Mr Mike O'Brien and following parliamentary response from parliamentlive click here to watch again 14.01.2010 BBC News - The Government apology to thalidomide survivors click on here to watch again 14.01.2010 BBC News - Thalidomide victims' joy at apology click on here to watch again 14.01.2010 Channel 4 News - Thalidomide victims given support click here to watch again

20.12.09 The Sunday Times - Thalidomiders win payout 50 years on click here to read the full story

18.11.2009 - BBC One Wales Programmes -Week In Week Out -meets some of the Welsh Thalidomide Impaired Survivors to see how they are coping. click here to watch again

15.11.2009 - The Sunday Times - An end to the terrible saga of thalidomide. Click here to read the full story

15.11.2009 - The Sunday Times -Thalidomide drug scandal is story of pain and official neglect. Click here to read the full story

15.11.2009 - The Sunday Times - Thalidomide drug scandal victory in sight. Click here to read the full story

 

08.11.2009 The Times - Thalidomide victim denied homecare Click here to read the full article

04.11.2009 Adjournment debate at Westminster Hall, London. This is a short half hour (or one and a half hours) debate. Click here to read the debate

09.10.2009 The Independent article by Jeremy Laurance, Legendary newspaper editor Sir Harold Evans revisits crusade for compensation Click here to read the full article

26.05.2009 The Independent article by Jeremy Laurance, Thalidomiders: still fighting for justice Click here to read the full article

01.05.2009 Sue MacGregor brings together a group of people to tell the story of the 1960s 'wonder drug' Thalidomide, which caused so much damage and distress. Click here to listen again

06.03.2009 BBC Radio 4 Today program Former Labour MP Lord Ashley has asked for more compensation for people born with deformities due to the drug thalidomide around 50 years ago. Science correspondent Tom Feilden reports on the secondary disorders associated with long term disability that many are experiencing. Click here to listen again

10.02.2009 The Guardian article by veteran thalidomide campaigner, Lord Ashley of Stoke Click here to read the full article

08.02.2009 The Telegraph article about the links between thalidomide and Germany’s Nazi past Click here to read the full article

08.02.2009 Daily Mail Nazi link Click here to read the full article

01.02.2009 Sunday Times article about why UK thalidomiders are asking their Government to help them Click here to read the full article

 

Sadie Galvin, 82yrs old was prescribed Distival in 1958 for toxic thyroid. She was not aware that she was pregnant. Distival was the name for Thalidomide in the UK. Dominic her son was left with serious central brain damage as well as other problems due to Thalidomide.
Thalidomide´s central brain damage is not very well known about, therefore Sadie tells her story. Click here to view on BlipTV

 

October 2008 Demonstration: for more campaign videos go to U-Tube

 

28.9.2008 Sunday Times magazine feature about the thalidomide at 50 exhibition in London Click here to read the full article

23.03.2008 Sunday Times article about the world wide campaign by thalidomiders Click here to read the full article

 

EVENTS

26.05.2012 Thalidomide 50 years on International Conference, Westminster London.

24.05.2012 - 19.00 - 20.30 Thalidomide: A human tragedy? Marking the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of the drug Thalidomide from the market, key figures involved in its history come together to tell their stories and answer questions.http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/events/thalidomide-a-human-tragedy.aspx

World conference on Thalidomide October 25- 31 2009 - São Paolo, Brazil