The birth of Léman hope

Giving young people in remission from cancer a confidence boost so they can look forward to a future full of optimism: that is the challenge taken up by Segeltörns hope.

Lausanne, December 10, 2020 - In Switzerland, some 3,000 young people have been affected by cancer as children, often leaving scars in their wake. Léman hope - the new project of the Fondation Léman hope - offers to help them rebuild their lives by taking them sailing for 4 days on board a sailboat on Lake Geneva. The benefits of such an experience are clinically proven.

"I don't recognize my son, these 4 days have transformed him!" These words alone, spoken by a mother last September, sum up the importance of the Léman hope project for young people in remission from cancer. After the ordeal of this terrible disease, which strikes 250 new children every year in Switzerland, the return to a "normal life" is often difficult. The physical and psychological consequences of cancer, hospitalization and treatment can be felt for a long time afterwards.

That's why Léman hope wants to help these young people look to the future with optimism and confidence, by offering them a 4-day cruise aboard a sailboat on Lake Geneva. During these 4 days, the children come together in an atmosphere of sharing, where everyone understands each other and has faced the same ordeal. This fun and enriching adventure is an opportunity for them to assert themselves outside the family environment, by learning about sailing. It's also a chance for them to rediscover their childlike spirit, swim and play with new friends. The benefits of such an experience for children in remission from cancer are clinically proven.

With the support of CHUV and ARFEC

Created by the Fondation Léman hope, the Léman hope project was inspired by a similar experiment carried out 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.

Léman hope enjoys the support of 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 Léman hope and its benefits for children in remission from cancer. For its part, ARFEC put Léman hope in touch with the children's families and provided logistical support for the project.

Take 250 children a year on a Léman hope cruise

The first Léman hope cruise took place from September 18 to 21, 2020, and took seven 13-year-olds sailing on Lake Geneva aboard two sailboats. On each boat, they were accompanied by a professional skipper and an ARFEC instructor who had also been affected by cancer as a child. A pediatric oncologist from the CHUV was on duty ashore.

The children's testimonies after this 4-day adventure, and those of their parents a few days after their return, are all encouragement to continue on this path. The first edition of Léman hope was entirely financed by the Fondation Léman hope. In order to offer the same boost of optimism and confidence to other young people in remission from cancer, and to make this project sustainable, the Léman hope Foundation is appealing for donations.

Every year, 250 children in Switzerland are diagnosed with cancer. Our goal is clear: to take 250 children on a Léman hope cruise every summer .

"It's the best experience of my life!"
Leno, age 13

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

"It helped me build my self-confidence."
Océane, 13 years old

"On Friday, I entrusted you with a Jayson who was closed and not very lively. On Monday, Jayson came home open and communicative. His head was full of stars, the same ones we found when we looked at the photos of the cruise."
Isabel, mother of Jayson, 13 years old.

"Now I feel ready to do new things"
Aurélie, age 13

To visit our website: www.lemanhope.ch
To find out more by watching a video: https://youtu.be/MWj2rBNXNd0
To download photos and a video: https: //we.tl/t-0NNjR6Lc3r

Media contact
Pascal Chavent, Cabinet Privé de Conseils, 022 552 46 30, chavent@cpc-pr.com