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On the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Day, the Everyone Against Cancer association is organizing the second edition of its “Even not bad!” action. On the program: training sessions for parents and caregivers to soothe and relieve sick children.
For the second time, the Everyone Against Cancer association is organizing training “Not even hurt !“. Intended for caregivers and parents of children affected by cancer, they consist of learning how to provide simple gestures to relieve and soothe little patients.
An action launched on February 15, International Childhood Cancer Day
This initiative will be launched on February 15, International Childhood Cancer Day, and will last one month. Nearly 300 people will be able to benefit from the system in different cities in France, in around fifteen hospitals, compared to 5 in 2023. All information by clicking here!
The cities concerned are Garches, Paris, Montreuil, Versailles, Rodez, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Besançon, Colmar, Margency, Clamart and Villejuif. These sessions, delivered by a professional trainer, allow those close to hospitalized children to better understand their needs and thus better support them.
According to Ellen Metereau, executive director of Everyone Against Cancer, “parents are unhappy and often helpless when their child is hospitalized, and caregivers do not necessarily have all the methods available. With ‘Even not bad!’, they learn simple gestures which help to restore their confidence in their ability to support children“.
In each hospital participating in “Even not bad!”, several one-hour group sessions will be offered to caregivers as well as parents, for an entire day. The objective is twofold: to distract the child with humor or games, and to create little rituals of gentleness with him.
These involve Magic massages, which are 24 gentle and playful massages, to be performed before, during or after the treatments, to reduce the child’s stress and anxiety, while diverting their attention from the pain.
A campaign to honor these little patients
In addition to these training courses, the association also honors sick children. Through a campaign, carried out in a humorous tone, it highlights these children affected by cancer and recalls the importance of keeping a positive and joyful environment around them.
“These training courses are also moments of sharing, they help to create an environment conducive to the good development of the child, who is the real final recipient of the system” recalls Ellen Metereau. This is also the objective of the association, whose actions aim to bring joy to patients and those around them, to help them get through this ordeal.