International Childhood Cancer Day

This summer, 24 young people in remission from cancer will sail Lake Geneva to regain their optimism and confidence in life.

Lausanne, February 15, 2021 - The Léman hope project is growing. After taking 7 young people in remission from cancer sailing aboard a sailboat for 4 days and 4 nights in 2020, the Léman hope Foundation is delighted to announce that this year 24 children and teenagers will be able to benefit from this adventure designed to help them on the road to recovery and a return to a "normal life". The benefits of such an experience are clinically proven.

“Now I feel ready to try new things!” These words, spoken last September by 13-year-old Aurélie at the conclusion of the firstLéman Hope Sailing Trip , served as an inspiration to continue this project and to do everything possible to enable even more young people in remission from cancer to participate. Following a successful first edition with seven participants, the Léman hope Foundationis pleased to announce—on this International Childhood Cancer Day —that 24 young people affected by this terrible disease will sail for four days and four nights aboard sailboats on Lake Geneva in the summer of 2021.

For the 250 young people diagnosed with cancer in Switzerland every year, the return to a "normal life" is often difficult. The physical and psychological consequences of the disease, hospitalization and treatment can be felt for a long time afterwards.

Through these Sailing Trips, Léman Hope aims to help these children and teenagers look to the future with optimism and confidence. Over the course of these four days, they come together in a supportive environment where everyone understands one another, having all faced the same challenges. This fun and enriching adventure offers them the chance to build their confidence outside the family setting by learning to sail. It’s also an opportunity for them to swim, play with new friends, and rediscover a sense of carefree joy.

Of course, all of this comes at a cost. But the smiles on everyone’s faces upon returning from the firstLéman Hope Sailing Trip and the clinically proven benefits of such an experience are priceless. The first edition of this wonderful adventure was entirely funded by the Léman hope Foundation. To offer this same boost of optimism and confidence to other young people in remission from cancer and to ensure the project’s long-term future, Léman hope and the Léman hope Foundation are launching a call for donations. Our goal is clear: to take 250 children on Sailing Trip Léman hope Sailing Trip every summer.

With the support of CHUV and ARFEC

Léman hope is supported by the Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV) and the Association romande des familles d'enfants atteints d'un cancer (ARFEC). Doctors at the CHUV's pediatric oncology department were immediately won over by the project, and are convinced of the need for it and the benefits it will bring to these youngsters. For its part, ARFEC puts the Fondation Léman hope in touch with the families and provides logistical support for the project.

The firstLéman Hope Sailing Trip took place from September 18 to 21, 2020, with seven 13-year-old children aboard two sailboats. On each boat, they were accompanied by a professional skipper and an ARFEC instructor who had also battled cancer as a child. A pediatric oncologist from the CHUV was on call on shore.

Created by the Fondation Léman hope, the Léman hope project was inspired by a similar experiment conducted since 2003 in Great Britain by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (EMCT), named after the famous yachtswoman behind the project. Léman hope was born of a meeting between Esteban Garcia from Lausanne, founder of the Léman hope Foundation, skipper Jérôme Clerc, director of Realteam Sailing, and Mark Turner, co-founder of EMCT. Offering the same opportunity to children in remission from cancer in Switzerland was an obvious choice for these three lovers of sailing and Lake Geneva.

Here's what they had to say

"This is the best experience of my entire life!" Leno, 13 years old

"I didn't recognize Aurelien when he came back! He had grown up, tanned, his hair had grown. He was interacting with the other kids, interacting apart from me, and I thought that was great." Isabelle, mother of 13-year-old Aurélien

"It helped me gain confidence in myself." Océane, 13 years old

“I hardly recognize my son—those four days have transformed him! On Friday, I left Jayson with you; he was withdrawn and seemed unenthusiastic. On Monday, an open and very talkative Jayson came home. His eyes were sparkling with excitement—the same sparkle we saw when looking at the photos from the Sailing Trip.” Isabel , mother of Jayson, age 13

To visit our website: www.lemanhope.ch
Find out more on video : https://youtu.be/MWj2rBNXNd0
To download photos and a video : https://we.tl/t-NVy6dNvJB0

Media contact
Pascal Chavent, Cabinet Privé de Conseils, 022 552 46 30, chavent@cpc-pr.comcommunication@lemanhope.ch
www.lemanhope.ch

Léman hope Foundation CHE- 181.640.557, Avenue d'Ouchy 6, 1006, Lausanne