The Pequeño Valiente Foundation is a non-profit regional entity dedicated to improving the quality of life of children with cancer and their families. With a mission as noble as it is important, the Pequeño Valiente Foundation has distinguished itself by providing social, psychological and educational support to those who need it most in difficult times. In general terms, what type of support do you offer to children with cancer and their families to improve their quality of life during the process?
I am the father of a child with cancer and, along with other affected parents, we are part of the board of directors and the social base of Pequeno Valiente. Our association was born from the need to provide comprehensive support to children who face this difficult disease and their families in the Canary Islands.
At Pequeno Valiente we offer a wide range of services to accompany children and their families on this difficult path. We have a team of specialized professionals, such as psychologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, speech therapists, educators and nutritionists, who provide personalized and quality care.
In addition, we offer financial assistance to cover travel and accommodation expenses, both in the Canary Islands and on the Peninsula (Madrid and Barcelona), when families need to travel to receive specialized medical treatment.
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Our commitment does not end there. We are present in the day-to-day life of the disease, visiting children in the Maternal and Child Hospital and in other hospitals on the islands where there are children with cancer. We take care of processing all the necessary paperwork, from scholarship and aid applications to disability-related procedures, freeing families from this administrative burden and allowing them to focus on what is most important: the health and well-being of their children.
Little Valiente is more than an association, it is a family that comes together to provide support, strength and hope in the fight against childhood cancer. We are a beacon of light in the midst of the storm, accompanying children and their families on this difficult path and filling it with small moments of joy and hope.
Through various actions such as dissemination about childhood cancer, accommodation for families in transfer and innovative projects such as Risopérate, the foundation has left a positive mark on the community and has managed to make the process of fighting this disease more bearable…
Yes. Risopérate was an initiative that arose within Pequeño Valiente with the aim of bringing joy and smiles to hospitalised children. Not only to children with cancer, but also to those suffering from other pathologies. The idea was to have teams of clowns made up of Pequeño Valiente members who would visit children in the Maternal and Child Hospital to relieve the stress of both the children and their parents, especially during difficult times such as surgical interventions.
The initiative has been a great success. The children and their families have enthusiastically received the presence of the clowns, who have managed to create a more pleasant and relaxed atmosphere in the hospital. This experience has demonstrated the power of laughter and joy to relieve pain and anxiety in the most difficult times.
Unfortunately, the pandemic forced Risopérate to be temporarily put on hold. However, now that the health situation allows it, we are very happy to announce that the programme is being reactivated.
What services and benefits do the accommodations available in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Madrid offer for families relocating for medical reasons?
Both in Tenerife and Madrid we have a reception apartment, while in Gran Canaria we have a complete building with large rooms, all with private bathrooms, as well as a laundry and kitchen.
These spaces are designed to offer a temporary home to families who come from other islands or who live in municipalities far from the hospital where their son or daughter is receiving treatment.
But that is not all. This month we have great news to share: we will inaugurate a reception apartment in Barcelona. This new space will be intended for Canarian families whose children receive treatment at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital or the Vall d’Hebron Hospital.
What notable achievements or projects has the Pequeno Valiente Foundation achieved since its creation?
One of our greatest achievements has been obtaining 33% disability with the first diagnosis of the disease. This makes us one of the few autonomous communities that offers this benefit, and has served as a model for other communities in the country. All this thanks to the Pequeno Valiente association and the political groups that fought alongside us to achieve this goal.
Another important achievement is Casa Pipa, a shelter for children with serious illnesses and their families. We are working to open a second Casa Pipa in Tenerife, and we hope to make it a reality soon.
How is financial support managed and provided to families affected by childhood cancer?
We prepare financial records for each family, detailing their financial situation. We contact the town hall and its social workers to obtain additional information. Based on the financial capacity of each family, we provide food and transport vouchers. We also offer financial assistance for trips to the peninsula, since the bureaucracy to access aid can be slow and complex, both in the Canary Islands and in the rest of Spain.
Our goal is for families to receive aid as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we provide them with the necessary support to cover their basic needs. Let’s imagine a father in Madrid with a salary of 1,200 euros who has to support his family and pay accommodation costs. In these cases, we provide him with a food voucher and additional aid so that he can cover his basic needs while he waits for the arrival of official aid.
In conclusion, what are the foundation’s future plans to continue improving the quality of life of children with cancer and their families?
At the moment, we are about to open our new apartment in Barcelona, as I already told you. We are also working on building new offices in Fuerteventura.
Our main objective is to continue expanding our team with more social workers, educators and physiotherapists to be able to offer better support to children and their families throughout the disease process.
Currently, our funding comes from a combination of public and private sources. We have the support of 60% public funds and 40% private funds, contributed by supportive companies. We are working to achieve long-term financial independence, which would allow us to maintain our organization without depending on external sources of funding.
We deeply appreciate the support of all the companies and public and private entities that help us make our mission a reality. Thanks to your collaboration, we can continue to grow and provide help to the children who need it most.