A strong message of optimism and unity for the handling of the children’s cancer has sent the Association “ELPIDA – Association of Friends of the Children with cancer” via a symbolic action in the Amphitheater of the Children’s Oncology Unit “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” in the presence of the Minister of Health, Thanos Plevris, the Deputy Minister of Health Mrs. Mina Gaga and the medical and nursing personnel of the Unit, celebrating the Universally awareness day against the children’s cancer, on Wednesday February 15th 2023.
The President of the Association, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, has announced very encouraging statistical data for the children’s cancer pointing out that “the children’s cancer could and must be defeated”.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis has in details announced that, the 80% percentage of the children with cancer who are treated in the Children’s Oncology Unit “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” and 70 about children from them are subject to transplant of Bone narrow with greatly high percentages of success.
Mrs. Vardinoyannis has also announced that, for the 1st time in Greece and in the “Center of Cellular and Gene therapy for children and teen-agers” have been prepared genetically modified cells for the therapy of the resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia for two (2) patients offering them hope. These specific therapies are a considerably important step for the cancer’s treatment worldwide.
“We do not stop in this point. Our target is to save the lives of all children. Our children must be cured. This is the reason why we are taking care so that our Oncologic Unit to continue its operation without any impediments, remaining to the fore front for the handing of the children’s cancer:
- With the supply of the most perfect and new devices.
- Via our cooperation with the largest Oncologic centers of abroad such as, Johns Hopkins, Philadelphia Hospital of the United States, Sick Kids Hospital of Canada, Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and a lot more important Foundations for the children’s cancer.
- With the practical training of our medical and nursing personnel
- To stand by any way and mean next to the little children who need us, Mrs. Vardinoyannis characteristically said.
The Minister of Health, Mr. Thonos Plevris, has congratulated the personnel of the unit, the Association “ELPIDA” and Mrs. Vardinoyannis for the extraordinary work they offer and announced that, the Government will support this specific project by converting and renaming the Unit to “Oncologic Center Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” in order to be independent, with a greater flexibility and remain to the front of the therapy of children’s’ cancer.
“Today is a strongly symbolic day which for you is an everyday’s life. What is separating in great degree the children’s cancer is that, no prevention programs could be made such as with the adults’ cancer. What is needed is a prompt diagnosis and therapy. You have very correctly said that, the 80% percentage of those that will be promptly diagnosed will be able to treat the disease. The target of European Union is to reach the 100% percentage. We have also announced to the Parliament into the frame of the support of structures for the treatment of cancer which coincides with the day that within a few hours will be in consultation the draft which will rename the “Oncologic Unit of Children Marianna Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” to “Oncologic Center Marianna Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA”. Opportunities will be given, both with sources and the flexibility with the personnel that the Unit has, to support the action you have described in order have in the future a greater flexibility which will offer the ability to even more grater international cooperation’s , to a greater development of the Center in having a wider flexibility for more international cooperation’s, a greater development of the Center which will be able in the future to serve much more children, develop recent therapies and have access in all the research centers worldwide. The Center will always operate as it is now operating with gnomon the public interest, its public character will not change but on the contrary it will be strengthen and the first Children’s Oncology Unit which will have all the opportunities for development, provision its services and the guarantees will be given to produce much more services. It is thus very important that, we have chosen to show the way with which will upgrade our oncologic centers. Today is staring another important day for this specific unit as “Oncologic Center Marianna Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA”, Mr. Plevris characteristically said.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Mrs. Mina Gagas has analytically spoken for the need of Unit’s support with all necessary tools and has emphasized that: “We proceed to a much better future for the health. Thank you very much all of you for your work, the children’s’ support, the smile and your commitment.
The joint Administrator of the Children’s Hospital “P&A Kyriakou” and “Agia Sofia”, Mr. Manolis Papassavas, has in details spoken for the Unit which is included to the top ones all around the world. “With the precious and for many years support of the Association and Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis initiatives, our Oncologic Hospital is included in the top Centers of abroad by offering to our little patients innovative and pioneering therapies. Our Oncologic Departments have been recognized as European Center of Expertise, a fact for which we are all of us very proud with the undivided attention of the Ministry. The battle with the children’s cancer is not an easy case. But no child is alone in this battle as it stands next to it an excellent trained medical-nursing personnel in an Oncologic Hospital supplied with ultramodern devices of the last generation, unique sometimes in the public and private sector, as good as with top Oncologic hospitals of abroad”.
A very emotional moment was that when the little Agapi has offered to the Minister of Health a handmade ornament for the day of the children of “ELPIDA” while all together have placed thereafter on the Stars Wall of “ELPIDA” the star of the “Universally Awareness day against the children’s Cancer” sending in this way the most optimistic message.