The Cabildo of Lanzarote, through the Department of Social Welfare, illuminated the facade of the island Institution in orange on the night of Saturday, February 15, on the occasion of the International Childhood Cancer Day, which was celebrated that same day.
In Spain, 1,500 cases of childhood cancer patients have been registered in the last year, affecting people under 20 years of age. In addition, 35,000 children with some variant of this disease have been counted in Europe in 2024, while in the world the figure amounts to 400,000.
The Island Corporation maintains a close collaboration with non-profit entities whose objective is to improve the quality of life of all people who suffer from this disease, among which are the Niños con Cáncer Pequeño Valiente Association and the Association of Oncohematological Families of Lanzarote (A.F.O.L.), among others.
With this gesture, the Cabildo symbolizes its support for the affected families and recognizes "the need to continue implementing policies that favor cancer research, raising awareness about its causes, treatments and possible preventions." It should be noted that the diagnosis of cancer in minors or adolescents has a profound and unexpected impact, affecting not only their physical health, but also their psychological and emotional well-being, and that of the entire family.
For this reason, the Spanish Federation of Childhood Cancer Families has claimed, through a manifesto, the need to take care of the mental health of minors and adolescents with cancer, and their families, during each and every one of the phases of the oncological process: from diagnosis, treatment, grief and in the management of possible sequelae of their disease. For this, they consider it necessary that health services can offer the necessary psycho-emotional support and care, that specific programs are created to support families, that help them manage the avalanche of emotions that their son or daughter's illness generates in all its members, thus strengthening the capacity for resilience in the face of this reality.
