Clinical Research: A Core Priority
Year after year, your donations, your fundraising activities, and your commitment to Leucan make it possible for us to invest in clinical research to fight cancer and improve treatments. Thanks to clinical research funded by your gifts, children can access to the best cancer treatments in the world with fewer side effects and a lower risk of sequelae. It’s important to remember that 70% of childhood cancer survivors will develop sequelae, and that in 30% of those cases, the sequela will be severe.
With your support, Leucan has invested close to $20 million in clinical research since its foundation, making the Association the main funder of this type of research in Quebec. Today, 82% of children diagnosed with cancer can hope to grow and survive their diagnosis. This positive outcome is only possible thanks to your unfailing support.
Sustained efforts, from the diagnosis and after families return home
From the moment of diagnosis, families are welcomed and met by a Family Agent from Leucan at the hospital. For families, this initial contact is crucial. Also thanks to you, Leucan continues to be there once families return home to comfort and listen to them. Recognizing the benefits and importance of active listening, you ensure that families know that they can count on Leucan through every stage of cancer and its effects, when they need it the most.
Warm Comfort for the Whole Family
To relieve the pain arising from treatment in children and the huge stress felt by other members of the family, Leucan makes massage therapy services available at the hospital and at home. In addition to reducing pain and stress, massages improve immune functions in affected children. With your support, Leucan can be attentive to the physical and emotional needs expressed by children and families, a crucial step in supporting families and see them safely through treatments.
Our Purpose: Ensure the Well-being of Families at Every Stage
When the worst comes to pass, your commitment to Leucan provides bereaved families with the psychological support they need to grieve and to continue with their lives. Your gifts fund activities where they can build relationships with other families faced with this unthinkable loss.
The Leucan Playrooms: Familiar and Comforting Spaces Within the Hospital
Typically, cancer treatments last at least two years and involves a weekly visit to the outpatient clinic where children receive their therapies. To make the wait and treatment times at the hospital more pleasant for children, Leucan built playrooms where educators welcome children and help them to live in the moment rather than dread the next round of treatments. Leucan’s highly specialized educators are also there to meet the needs of parents and siblings. Thanks to you, Leucan can truly be there at every stage of cancer, ready to satisfy the needs of families, whatever they might be.
Financial Help when Families Need it Most
Your gifts help families cope with the financial burden associated with cancer because no one plans for cancer in their budget.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, one parent often has to take an indefinite leave from work to support their child through treatments. With weekly outpatient cancer treatment lasting a few years; travel, accommodation, parking, and meal costs quickly add up and become a significant source of stress for families. With a financial boost from you, families can focus their energy on what matters the most: their child’s recovery.
Additionally, childhood cancer survivors left with physical or psychological sequelae know that they can count on Leucan and your support with grants dedicated specifically to them.