315,000 times thank you! 💙
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we reached our goal in less than 48 hours! It’s absolutely amazing. The fundraiser remains open, and every additional donation will support pediatric cancer research to find new treatments, improve existing ones, and kick children’s cancer to send it far, far away forever and may it never come back!
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In July 2023, the verdict fell: our 8-year-old daughter, Judith, was diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma, a rare and particularly aggressive paediatric cancer. The marathon of treatments then began: chemotherapy, surgeries, stem cell transplants, radiotherapy... The pace was frantic, until a premature relapse in October 2024 while she was still undergoing treatment. Conventional protocols were not enough to eliminate the most recalcitrant cancer cells.
Every step of the way, Judith shows exceptional courage. She keeps her smile and sense of humour, even at the most difficult of times.
Hope in Italy, an imminent departure
On Thursday 30 January 2025, we finally received a glimmer of hope: Judith is eligible for CAR-T cell therapy at the Bambino Gesù University Hospital in Rome! This is a priceless opportunity, the best therapeutic option for her.
However, access to this innovative treatment comes at a considerable cost: 315,000 euros.
The chances of obtaining reimbursement from the Belgian social security system are extremely slim. We find ourselves in a grey area, not covered by current regulations. Even in case of approval, it would only cover a tiny fraction of the costs. This is why we are appealing to your generosity through this fundraising campaign.
Go for Juju. Let’s unite!
Our departure is imminent for the first stage of the treatment: apheresis, the collection of her immune cells, which are essential to the therapy. We need your help now.
Make a donation
Every contribution, no matter how small, is precious and brings us closer to our goal.
Share our appeal
On your social networks, in your close circles. The more of us there are, the greater our chances of being able to go!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support.
Laura & Nicolas
Parents of Judith and Jeanne
The clinical trial of CAR-T cell therapy
CAR-T cell therapy is a revolutionary immunotherapy approach that reprograms the child’s own defences to attack the refractory cancer cells.
In practice, it involves genetically modifying the patient's immune cells to specifically target the cancer cells. The process involves collecting these cells (T lymphocytes) through apheresis, modifying them in the laboratory to add a "receptor" capable of recognizing the tumour cells, and then reinfusing them back into the patient’s body. This allows the immune system to better attack and destroy the cancer.
It is inhumane that today parents have to raise thousands of euros themselves in order to obtain the most innovative treatment for their sick child.
The KickCancer Foundation advocates easier access to foreign clinical trials and innovative new drugs for Belgian cancer patients.
Delphine Heenen, Kicker-in-Chief, founder and managing director of KickCancer
CAR-T treatment has shown promising results. This innovative therapy offers new prospects for recovery where traditional treatments have failed. It is essential that patients like Judith have access to these medical advances, which can truly transform the future of paediatric oncology.
Mrs Brichard, Deputy Head of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Coordinator of the Paediatric Palliative Care Centre, Saint-Luc Hospital-Faculty Ethics Committee - UCLouvain
In April 2023, the results of the first clinical trial conducted at Bambino Gesù Hospital, involving 27 children with neuroblastoma, were published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Among the 27 patients who received this new therapy, 17 showed a therapeutic response, and 9 of them even achieved complete remission. Since then, dozens of other children have benefited from this treatment.
These results give us hope and strength to keep believing, again and again!
United for Juju: Thank You to KickCancer, Sunchild, and Expansion
This fundraising campaign was made possible thanks to the incredible support and dedication of KickCancer, Sunchild, and Expansion, who joined forces to help us organize everything. Their commitment and generosity have made this wave of solidarity possible.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to each of them for their dedication and support in this fight.
