Physical Health Brazil Project #26672

Better chances for childhood cancer in Brazil

by GRAACC - Support Group for Adolescents and Children with Cancer

Better chances for childhood cancer in Brazil

Project Report | Feb 22, 2023
1,000 bone marrow transplants performed!

By Julia Lauer - Target Comunicacao | Analyst

1,000 bone marrow transplants performed!

This is a very important milestone, as it is a treatment indicated to offer more chances of cure to patients diagnosed with some of the most frequent tumors in childhood, such as leukemia and lymphomas, as well as others that demand extremely high complexity, such as high-risk neuroblastomas, retinoblastoma and central nervous system tumors.

It was with your support that we achieved this milestone and can now give more chances of survival to children with cancer in Brazil, performing one in every six pediatric bone marrow transplants in the country.

Great achievements come with great stories. When we talk about a thousand transplants performed, we are talking about hundreds of lives saved. Procedure number 1,000 was intended to provide more safety in the treatment of our patient Murilo, who is only 3 years old. With a rare brain tumor called pinealoblastoma, this little resident of Bauru, in the interior of the State of São Paulo, has been treated for a year at, which his mother would not change for any other.

“My son was welcomed by an indescribable team. Here, each patient is cared for in a different and unique way. It is a welcoming that comforts us and gives us the certainty that our children are in the best place to be treated”, says Daiane, 34 years old, Murilo's mother.

After receiving efficient treatment to eliminate the tumor, he still needed high doses of chemotherapy to reduce the chance of a possible return of the cancer. His own cells were collected and frozen, allowing high-dose chemotherapy to be carried out, followed by an autologous transplant, which soon restored Murilo's health.

Offering every chance of healing with quality of life is an achievement. Celebrating so many accomplishments is only possible with your support and the solidarity of thousands of people who trust our work. Therefore, we believe that such achievements belong to all our donors as well. Make your donation and contribute for the treatment of our patients.

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Nov 1, 2022
Treating teenagers with cancer

By Mariane Rodrigues - Target Comunicacao | Project Leader

Victoria, our teenager patient

Diagnosing and treating cancer in adolescence is one of the great challenges of pediatric oncology. Early recognition of the main signs that can point to the disease, such as nodules, spots and swelling is essential to increase the chances of cure. The parents need to be tuned for possible signs and seek specialized medical advice. When diagnosed early, our hospital achieved high cure rates in this age and were able to provide better quality of life and correct care”, explains doctor Eliana Caran, pediatric oncologist at GRAACC, specialist in adolescents.

“Cancer in adolescence has many specificities and its treatment can impact this stage of great physical, emotional and social development. That's why it's important that parents do like Victoria's parents did, diagnosed with a bone tumor in her arm when she was 12 years old. “After bumping into her cousin during a game, the emergency room doctors said it was a dislocation. But the pain continued and her arm became warm from the inflammation. We persisted and took Victória to the orthopedist, who diagnosed the tumor and referred us to GRAACC Hospital”, says Joseane, the patient's mother.

“That is why it is so important to be in specialized centers in pediatric oncology that, in addition to the experience in dealing with tumors of adolescence, which is different from the treatment of cancer in adults, understand the impacts of the discovery of the disease and the peculiarities of therapeutic approaches in teenagers’ lives”, explains Dr. Eliana Caran.

Every day, new patientes as Victoria come to our hospital in search of cancer treatment and cure. With the help of people like you, we are able to offer treatment so that they get every chance of being cured, preserving their quality of life.

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Jul 6, 2022
For us, GRAACC is cure

By Nitiayne Mille Takemoto | Project Leader

A long trip of almost 900 kilometers became a short way for a family in search of curing the cancer of its baby girl. Little Luize is 2 years old, and she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in 2020, when she was only six months old. Living in Içará, in the interior of the State of Santa Catarina, the family has not measured efforts – or distances – to seek a treatment for their daughter. Luize’s mother, Alice, 38, said that she noticed a reflection in the eyes of her daughter, but she thought that it was due to the color of Luize’s eyes. “It did not draw our attention because she has blue eyes. One day, I took her to take a vaccine, and the nurse noticed that Luize did not move her two eyes equally.” In the next week, the family went to Criciúma, a neighbor city, for an appointment with an ophthalmologist. “He examined her and immediately wrote a referral letter to GRAACC’s Hospital,” she said.

At our hospital, Luize and her parents were welcomed by Dr. Luiz Fernando and Dr. Carla Macedo, who confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral retinoblastoma, when cancer is present in both eyes. “I was knocked off my feet. The whole family was devastated. The word “cancer” is quite scaring, but the medical team was wonderful, and we were sure that Luize was in very good hands,” Alice said. And she was, indeed. The medical team acted quickly in order to guarantee the success of the treatment, and an humanized and welcoming assistance. “We have a great affection for the whole GRAACC team. They assist people in a sensible and empathic way. Luize is a very special child: She is the only child of the couple, and the first grandchild of both sides of the family. I am sure that they could feel how much that means to us,” said the mother with emotion.

Luize has already been discharged from hospital after several rounds of chemotherapy, cryotherapy, lasertherapy and other procedures, and she is being monitored through routine tests that take place on a quarterly basis. “For us, GRAACC is cure. Thanks to the Hospital, my daughter has the opportunity to grow, play and have a normal life. She will be the light of our lives for a long time,” Alice celebrates.

Thanks to your donation, we can tell and share many breakthroughs. You are crucial for the treatment of thousands of children like Luize. Thank you very much!

Links:

https://graacc.org.br/

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