"The happiness of the little things," the message from the Juegaterapia Foundation on International Childhood Cancer Day

The Juegaterapia Foundation, in the context of the International Childhood Cancer Day, commemorated every February 15th, launches its new charity campaign under the slogan 'The happiness of the little things', a message that emphasizes that, amidst illness, everyday happiness can make a difference.

Each year, it is estimated that around 400,000 children and adolescents with cancer (from 0 to 19 years old) are diagnosed worldwide. In countries with access to advanced oncological treatments, more than 80% manage to overcome the disease, but this reality is not the same everywhere.

The organization highlighted that these figures remind us of the importance of continuing to promote childhood cancer research, ensuring access to effective therapies, and also taking care of the emotional well-being of the patients and their families throughout the process.

In this context, the Foundation presents its new annual campaign against childhood cancer, a message that will accompany the organization throughout the year and claims that, even in the midst of oncological treatment, happiness does not disappear: it transforms.

And it does so through a charity music video where Carla, Ilian, Bruno, Iker, Miguel, Sofía, Lola, Greta, Aarón, Álvaro, Lucas, Jesús, Mateo, Anas, Jardiell, Paula, Diego, and Juan Pablo, children undergoing oncological treatment and friends, sing an adaptation of the classic by Romina and Al Bano 'Felicidad', who have granted their rights to support the cause.

A smile. Returning to school. Eating an ice cream. Walking the dog. Feeling the sun on your face. Simple gestures that we often take for granted, but for a child in cancer treatment, they become true achievements and a powerful source of joy and hope.

According to Mónica Esteban, president of the Juegaterapia Foundation, “in hospitals we have learned that happiness lies in the small details that make a child smile again. And that smile is also part of the treatment. The little things can be huge when you are fighting cancer.”

The campaign focuses on real stories of children with cancer who find joy in everyday life. Because when the world shrinks to a hospital room, the small becomes extraordinary.

Besides the emotional impact, science supports this perspective. Mario Alonso Puig, a doctor, speaker, and honorary patron of the Juegaterapia Foundation, stated that “when a person feels happy, it is known that changes occur in the body: there is a greater activation of the anterior vagus nerve and the heart enters what is called cardiac coherence. This has a very important impact in the fight against the disease, as it promotes a more intense activation of the immune system, capable of destroying bacteria, viruses, and tumors. Finding those moments to balance and give thanks, even amidst difficulty, is undoubtedly a very important factor in the fight against the disease.”

During the International Week of Childhood Cancer, the Juegaterapia Foundation reminds us of the importance of continuing to promote initiatives that care not only for the body but also for the emotions, and to support pediatric oncological research to continue advancing in treatments.

Isabel, the mother of one of the children, states that the Juegaterapia Foundation is the only one that has been by her side. “As their slogan says, 'playing makes chemotherapy fly by' and both in the room with the play, and in the classroom with the volunteers —who are wonderful— the many admissions are much more bearable. The opportunity they have given Miguel as an actor in the campaign is something he is enjoying immensely."

Valle Sallés, vice president of the Juegaterapia Foundation, adds that "when you live with childhood cancer you understand that life is measured differently. It is measured in smiles drawn in the midst of fear, in games that transform a hospital room, in small moments that become gigantic. In the face of this disease, every moment counts. And making children happy in treatment is not something small. It is something huge. Because in that happiness lies their strength… and ours as well.”

From Juegaterapia, society is invited to join the movement by sharing on social media those little things that make them happy using the hashtag #LaFelicidadDeLasPequeñasCosas.

As part of this campaign, the Foundation also launches the Bag of Happiness, a very special small object created to concentrate the laughter of three kids in treatment: Emily, Otto, and Rosa. A bag that, when squeezed, lets out a bunch of contagious laughter. “Because sometimes happiness can also be stored and shared,” Emily points out.