Today, February 15, is International Childhood Cancer Day, a date that aims to raise awareness and raise awareness in society about the challenges facing children and adolescents with cancer and their families.
Childhood cancer is a global scourge that affects 150,000 children every year, but despite everything, these little heroes never lose their smile and face the disease with strength and courage, worthy of admiration. Therefore, on a day like today we want to stand up and dedicate the most important applause of their lives.
In Babies and more A child with cancer is still a child: World Day Against Childhood CancerDespite the disease, they need to remain children
The diagnosis of cancer in a child is one of the most devastating news a family can receive. "Why children?", We all ask with a mixture of fear, pain and uncertainty.
Although childhood cancer is a rare disease, we cannot turn our backs on this reality, because children and their families need the support of the whole society to travel the hard road that opens before them after diagnosis.
Publicity Among all we must avoid that the disease wins the battle to the laughter, the games, the hope and to all those moments in which the children show their essence of children.That is why, on a day like today we join the emotional campaign of Juegaterapia and recognize, through a loud and affectionate applause, the courage, courage and strength that they show every day. This applause is our way of telling them: "You're doing well!", "Count on me!"
See this post on InstagramA shared publication of Juegaterapia (@juegaterapiaorg) on Feb 14, 2019 at 10:37 PST
How can we help children with cancer?
Although the family is the fundamental pillar of the child, especially those who are going through situations of extreme vulnerability such as children with cancer, since various levels of society we can contribute to help in the recovery of these children.
How can we do it?
By making us bone marrow donors or donating the umbilical cord of our newborn, so that children with leukemia have more likely to find compatible donors To help them overcome their illness.
From volunteering and foundation support who work daily to make the hospital stay of these children more bearable, through play, smiles and affection. Theodora Foundation, Juegaterapia or Fundación Aladina are just some examples.
In Babies and more The dreams of children with cancer come true in a beautiful photographic project Buying for our children or friends "the most beautiful dolls in the world": the babypelones. With your purchase we will not only be contributing to childhood cancer research, but also, the children who receive this precious gift will be able to understand that there are many small ills that are having a bad time and that they need everyone's support and solidarity.
We can also contribute by donating our hair to all those children and adolescents who have lost theirs as a result of the treatments.
Participate and / or disseminate solidarity campaigns that encourage donations to continue researching. Because to be able to advance in the causes and treatment of this disease, more economic resources and financing are needed, so any help, however small, will always be a great gift.
Childhood cancer in numbers
According to the Neuroblastoma Foundation, around 1,100 children under 14 years of age get cancer every year in Spain, which implies an incidence of 155.5 new cases annually per million children in this age group.
The prognosis of childhood cancer in Spain has improved dramatically in recent years, reaching a five-year survival rate of 75% diagnosis. However, it is important to keep moving forward to reach 100% healing.
There are several types of childhood cancer, but among the most frequent tumors are:
- Leukemia (30% of childhood cancers), with acute lymphoblastic leukemia which especially affects children between two and eight years.
In Vitónica The cause of childhood leukemia could have been discoveredTumors of the central nervous system (21.5%), frequent especially between five and ten years.
Neuroblastoma (8.8%), which mainly affects children under five.
Wilms tumor (4.9%), is a malignant tumor that affects the cells of the kidneys, usually in children under ten years.
Despite the many investigations, the causes of cancer in children are unknown today, but numerous studies are still being carried out to try to determine what are the factors that cause this disease.
Hopeful news
In recent months we have echoed hopeful news about childhood cancer, and that on a day like today we want to remember again:
We recently met the case of Yuvan Thakkar, an 11-year-old boy who has leukemia who has undergone CAR-T therapy, a hopeful treatment that has shown very promising results in clinical trials.
In October 2018, an advanced unit was opened at La Paz Hospital to treat children with difficult cancers, in which clinical trials will be developed where molecular engineering and immunotherapy will be protagonists.
In May 2018, the Cancer Research Institute (ICR) released a new and important study that would help understand why childhood leukemia develops, opening the door to a possible prevention in the future.
And although this news dates from a year ago, we want to remember again the important step achieved by the Spanish Federation of Parents of Children With Cancer, after getting all the Pediatric Intensive Care Units of our country, adopt the "open doors" mode, allowing children admitted to Intensive Care can be accompanied by their parents 24 hours a day.
Photos | iStock
