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KIKA:  An Introduction

The words “Across Europe” evoke images of a long and beautiful holiday trip.  Those images, however, would be misleading.  Across Europe is the initiative of a band of heroes who intend to cycle from the North Cape to Athens within the space of 30 days.  The acceptance of this challenge is aimed at collecting money for “KiKa”.  (“KiKa” stands for “Kinder Kanker”, which is Dutch for Children’s Cancer.)  We are proud, therefore, to add these heroes to the list of long term KiKa supporters.  In the past a large group of these had a successful cycle trip from Rotterdam to Rome.  Now, sights are being set higher and these guys will have to go to the limits of their powers and ability.  This is in line with KiKa’s traditions: to go for the max!

Since KiKa’s establishment in 2005 the average probability of recovery for children with cancer rose from 70% to 75%, having stagnated for the 15 preceding years.  That is good, but it also means that there is still a lot of ground to be made up there.  Together with paediatric oncologists KiKa is striving for a recovery probability of 90% to 95%.  In 3 years’ time the most modern, inspiring cancer research centre (NKOC) in Europe will open its doors in Utrecht.  We expect that researchers from both inside and outside the Netherlands will want to work there which will, inevitably, increase the demand for research facilities.  By coincidence “Across Europe” is anticipating this development, but at the same time it is a good reason to draw attention to the NKOC.  The cyclists will have to persevere to reach the finishing line as planned in the same way as the children have to fight for their lives.  The proceeds of this extraordinary initiative bring us another step closer to our goal :  children without cancer.

On behalf of KiKa I wish them the best of luck and also much joy, because that too goes with caring for children.

Rien Schimmel (KiKa Director for Sponsoring and Projects)

 

Why KIKA?

Close to 25% of all children with cancer eventually die from the disease.  A good 75% recover, but aggressive treatment may cause deleterious side effects both during and after therapy.  Current chemotherapy can be so aggressive that children declared cured today may incur certain organ deficiencies at a later age.

New scientific data

Thanks to information obtained from recent gene research we are almost sure that we will be able to develop new methods of treatment in order to cure cancer in children more often using more benign forms of therapy.  We will then be able to significantly increase the quality of life of every child that gets cancer, both during and after therapy.  What is required to make this happen?

Extra funds for acceleration

More than 95% of existing charities target all forms of cancer in adults.  Fortunately, childhood cancer is much rarer than in adults.  However, this simultaneously poses a problem, since this leads these charities away from dealing with children’s cancer.  Innovative research into children’s cancer requires an approach aimed at the specific genetic properties of children’s cancer.  KiKa and Across Europe ask for your support for this research.

 

Objective

The goal of the KiKa Charity Foundation is to acquire funds to do innovative research and to sponsor other activities related to children’s cancer.  All these will be aimed at the reduction of pain and struggle, increase of recovery and a better quality of life at an older age.

KiKa’s objectives are:
1.To increase the probability of recovery
2.To improve the quality of treatment (reducing aggressiveness where possible)
3.To lessen post-therapy side effects (effects at an older age)

To make optimum use of your donation KiKa has decided to support 7 university children’s medical centres in the Netherlands.  These centres have combined their research efforts and adapted them to fit seamlessly together.  This is the way to fight children’s cancer together.

KiKa acquires funds for the following children’s cancer medical research centres:
-  Queen Emma Children’s Hospital, AMC Amsterdam
-   Queen Beatrix Children’s Clinic, UMC Groningen
-   Prince Willem-Alexander Children and Youth Medical Centre, Leiden
-   St Radboud Children’s Hospital, UMC Nijmegen
-   Queen Sophia Children’s Hospital, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam
-   Free University Medical Centre, Amsterdam
-  Queen Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Utrecht

Across Europe for KiKa