30,000 schoolchildren raise today their «magical powers» to support children and adolescents with cancer

The week of the International Day of the Child with Cancer, commemorated every 15th of February, 30,000 schoolchildren across Spain wanted to give support to children and adolescents with cancer in the world. Students who have joined the action promoted by NIÑOS CON CÁNCER, Federación Española de Padres, have ask the adults for their  «magical powers» to help children who, with their age, suffer childhood cancer, the leading cause of death by disease on children up to 14 years.Under the slogan «Your help has Magical Powers», scholars have explained that these powers are needed, referring, among other needs, early diagnosis: «Magical powers so that when children manifest symptoms of childhood cancer, they are detected by the doctor as soon as possible so he knows what to do», says Enrique, a 6 years old child with lymphoblastic leukemia at Colegio La Compañia de Maria, in Almeria.

In this sense, the president of NIÑOS CON CÁNCER, Federación Española de Padres, Pilar Ortega, announced at the event that «this year an Early Attention guidance will be brought to life in collaboration with SEHOP. NIÑOS CON CÁNCER intended that this guide addresses the coordination between pediatric oncologists and general practitioners, as this relationship is essential for early diagnosis in children. The document will be given to all primary care doctors so they can detect the symptoms and coordinate with the medical specialist».

To the act held in Almeria the President of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Oncology, Tomas Acha, has also attended. He presented the priorities of the SEHOP: «Complete coverage of the National Childhood Tumor Registry to have population-level character of all communities and expand the Pediatric Onco-hematological assistance to 18 years for it to encompass the adolescent population».

In relation to this, Health Minister Ana Mato, stated that «with the support of parents who asked us, we managed to keep the teenagers up to 18 years in the pediatric oncology units, so the treatment will be more accurate to the age of these children. In turn, Mato thanked the Federation «the collaboration with the Ministry of Health» and asked them to «continue to support so that together we win the battle against cancer.»

«Research and special medicines for children»

In each of the more than 60 participating schools, children have read a manifesto with the same claims that the one ICCCPO members will read tomorrow to the European Parliament. Scholars have asked adults to help children with cancer with their «magical powers»: «Powers so it will be more investment in research of cancers in children and more special medicines are developed, because the children are more vulnerable than adults. Magical Drugs that let less negative effects and make our life easier”, said Pedro Burgos, a teenager with cancer.

In this sense, the president also hinted at the importance of the negative effects: «About 30 percent of children with cancer may suffer long-term consequences». We have to fight for less aggressive treatments, which affect the minimum the daily lives of the surviving children, with more investment in pediatric oncology research» Ortega said.

The president wanted to thank the cooperation and the commitment to the cause of NIÑOS CON CÁNCER of the institutions and companies that have contributed to this action: The Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, Skoda, UPS, communication agency Zapping and the designer Emo Diaz. And of course, all schools and associations involved with the campaign «Your help has magical powers»