The Parents Association of Children with Cancer, ‘FLOGA’ has been functioning for 24 years. In the beginning the Association was nothing but an idea, growing in the mind of the parents who watched their children fight the illness in hospitals that lacked the appropriate equipment and in a social environment that was insufficiently informed and that encountered them suspiciously. In those days, three female doctors made an attempt to establish an Oncological Medical Department at the Children’s Hospital ‘Paidon A. Kyriakou’.

This medical department inspired in the parents’ mind the need to speak for their children’s rights - such as psychological care and support and the adequate medical care - with the purpose to acquire them.

What is particular about our Association, is that its main members are volunteer parents, people whose children suffered from cancer at a very young age. Just ordinary people who faced their children’s illness with extraordinary courage and endurance. An illness that strongly affected both their lives and their priorities.

FLOGA has been working for 24 years to support families, inform the general public on childhood cancer, establish measures and institutions that improve the conditions for the children and offer a friendly environment in the hospitals so that the children cooperate better with the doctors and better results are achieved concerning their treatment. According to current scientific reports and statistics, 2/3 children with cancer are cured and get back to their previous social environment where they continue their life without any further problems.

Parent-members of our Association offer their help in many ways. Our most important work is The House of Children of FLOGA, a hostel that was created because of the first parent’s agony and worries. They came from the province to Athens with their sick children, not knowing where to stay. But , apart from their worries for their child’s health, parents should not worry about finding a new home that is safe and warm. Our ‘House of Children’ is appropriate for children and families. It has teachers and psychologists who help them live in an environment as close as possible to their natural one. In that way, their return to their previous way of living - after treatment has been completed - does not mean a too big change.

The children live in our Hostel as long as they receive medical treatment. The Association has a van to transfer all children safely to their homes.

Our work also provides information for the community on childhood cancer that is conducted through conferences and TV or radio. Another activity is the organization of parties at the Oncological Departments in the Hospitals, financial contribution to the departments to have them fully equipped with all necessary technical and scientific means. Finally, we pay for the salaries of the nursing staff in case the State cannot pay them. Moreover our Association tries to interfere – with discretion of course - to eliminate bureaucracy so that the parents can stay close to their children. The result is that many parents of children with cancer later became members of our Association and work voluntarily as much as they can. Besides they see that parents whose child once suffered from the same disease are willing to stand by them and help their children.

Last but not least, we offer a program that our children really like. Every summer our Association takes the responsibility of sending cured children to camps in Ireland and France.

These camps address children with serious diseases and mean a great experience to them as they affect their life positively and have an important role in the development of their character. Established and founded by the Paul Newman Institution, these camps accept children with serious illnesses from all European countries every year. There, in a place that could be easily characterized as a Paradise, 20 Greek children come in contact each year with other children who face other illnesses; they find ways to communicate with each other, ways whose basis is their joy and happiness. They look forward to arriving there and when they reach the gate of the Barretstown Camp, they open their eyes wide while the staff of the camp welcomes them and works hard to make them feel like home and experience there the most unforgettable moments. These days will fill their hearts with useful experiences and feelings that cannot be drawn on any picture.

It’s not weird what some children said about the activities in the camp: ‘I can do it, but my mum would go mad if she saw me like this. When will we come back again?’

The day they have to fly back to Greece, nobody can hold back their tears, even the staff. Everybody is so sentimentally touched and all are crying while the children are getting on the van to go to the airport, holding presents in their hands. After arriving in Greece, they feel the need to describe in detail what they have experienced. However these experiences bear the one and important question: shouldn’t Greece offer its children such a camp? Our Association’s members are ready to offer their experiences and help those who will undertake the realization of such a program.

For FLOGA by Georgia Christoforou (Executive Secretary)

Translation from the Greek text by Spyridoula Christoforou