In honor of International Childhood Cancer Day at Lacor hospital.
The room is filled with color. Bright drawings hang on the walls. A painted lion watches over the classroom. Small hands are raised in the air, not in surrender, but in strength.
In the middle of treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor, these children stand together, smiling, proud, resilient. They are fighting cancer, yet in this moment, they are simply children: laughing, learning, growing.
Each of them carries a story of courage- Hospital visits, long days of treatment, uncertainty. And yet, here they are, barefoot on the classroom floor, shoulders touching, fists lifted in solidarity. Their joy is not naïve. It is powerful. It is defiant. It says, “We are still here.” This is where hope lives.
Through the support of Soleterre, these children receive more than medical care. They are given daily meals to nourish their bodies as they endure treatment. They are given education so their dreams do not pause while their treatment continues. They are given stability in a time that can feel frightening and uncertain. In this classroom, lessons become more than reading and writing. They become reminders of possibility. They become proof that cancer does not erase a child’s future.
International Childhood Cancer Day invites us to look beyond statistics and see faces, faces like these. It reminds us that every child fighting cancer deserves comprehensive care: treatment, nutrition, education, and emotional support. It reminds us that survival is not the only goal; dignity and opportunity matter too.
The raised fists in this photo are not just playful gestures. They are symbols of resilience. They represent families who refuse to give up, caregivers who show up every day, and communities that choose compassion. Today, we honor these children, their bravery, their strength, their light. And we recommit ourselves to standing beside them. Because healing is not only about medicine. It is about hope. It is about community. It is about ensuring that every child, even in the hardest season of life, still has the chance to learn, to smile, and to dream.
