Pediatric cancers: in Millau as in Aveyron, the fight continues with the Lucio association

En septembre, l'association récoltait 3 000 euros en parcourant 201 km dans Millau en 24 heures. Midi Libre – Laura Vaillant

Ce jeudi 15 février représente la journée internationale du cancer pédiatrique ; l'occasion de revenir sur les actions de l'association Lucio qui lutte oeuvre pour récolter des fonds.

"A Grain of Sand" came to disrupt the gears of our lives, […] Paul is suffering from T-lymphoblastic lymphoma." Last November 10, the life of Paul , a 10-year-old resident of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, has changed. Each year in France, nearly 2,500 children, adolescents and young adults are affected by pediatric cancers. "Today, […] the five-year recovery of young patients is estimated at 83%", details the League Against Cancer in a press release.

"Illness has come to eat into our daily lives. Paul did not choose to undergo so much suffering. Our little boy's life took a nightmarish turn", wrote Sabrina, Paul's mother, to the Lucio association at the end of 2023&nbsp ;in order to organize a handball tournament and raise funds.

For Louise Villemagne and Noémie Sollier, members of the association, it was necessary to respond to this call. "We are delighted to help a child from the department", confides the first, president. That day, 3,000 euros were able to be collected for Paul and his family.

Usually, the association donates the funds won during sporting challenges to the Gustave Roussy Institute, a cancer treatment center located in Villejuif, in the Paris region. "It's true that when we make donations to the Institute, which is still quite far away, we see less of the impact. There, for Paul, we were on site and we saw the repercussions", notes Louise Villemagne.

Three missions from the Aveyron branch of the League Against Cancer

In Aveyron, the League is fighting against à all cancers. Concerning pediatric cancer, every year for 21 years, actions are carried out in three E.Leclerc centers of the dé department in order "to encourage and collect funds to advance research", explains Bénédicte Castella, coordinator of the Aveyron League located in Paris. Rodez. In 2023, 150 projects have been implemented. funded to advance research against pediatric cancers. This same year, the Aveyron branch harvested 11,600 euros, then paid back to the research allowances. Thus, "4 &eac;teams of researchers, à both &agrav; Toulouse and Montpellier were able to benefit from these donations".

The League is structured around 3 missions: research, support for sick people and caregivers (supportive care, financial aid) and prevention. À Millau, on March 26, trained volunteers will come to the Marcel Aymard college to lead a tobacco prevention workshop with #39;60~/p>

"We want to continue local challenges"

In June 2024, the Lucio association will hand over to the Institute the sum of 10,000 euros, part of which was won by the Institute. nbsp;during the 24-hour roller skating challenge in Millau last September. "This will be the opportunity, by going there, to really see the&# 39;importance of donations."

For the Millavian sportswomen, the challenges continue and the next one is already being considered. "We're going to try to open the Millau 100 km, and finish before the first runner. It won't be easy!" The atmosphere of the local challenge won over the sportswomen. "Being encouraged by people from their windows, their cars, and not through a screen is really rewarding. We want to continue local challenges."