You can find local members within our network of European Cancer Support groups below.
If you would like your group to be added to our network you should contact us. Likewise if you are a cancer survivor and would like to share your story with us, please get in touch.
Members of the library do regular arts and crafts activities in the Tirana pediatric hospital to inspire and teach the children who have to spend extended periods of time for treatment in there and organize teams of volunteers such as young university students or older teens to create such activities for the young patients.
Contact details: biblioteka.perla@gmail.com / +355 69 7215180
I am Varduhi Sargsyan and I was diagnosed Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2016. After months of chemotherapy followed by a radiation therapy, I am now in remission. Upon completing the treatment I got involved in cancer patient support, actively sharing my experience with other patients and helping them find their way on the cancer treatment route. I personally spent an enormous amount of time researching all the local, regional and international resources and talking to many specialists and survivors before making my treatment choices. So I’ll gladly share all these with anyone who needs it. You are welcome to reach me through either Facebook or email.
Contact details: https://www.facebook.
The “HENARAN” (RELIANCE) charitable foundation was established in Armenia to pursue social, health, charitable, educational, public awareness, cultural and other goals for public benefit. The Foundation’s beneficiaries are patients receiving cancer treatment, as well as their families and caregivers. The mission of the “HENARAN” (RELIANCE) charitable foundation is to actively participate in the fight against cancer in Armenia, support patients receiving cancer treatment and their families and caregivers, promote and raise public awareness about oncological diseases and their possible prevention, and enhance the institutional and human capacity of cancer care institutions, with the objectives to:
It is difficult to reconcile oneself to the diagnosis of cancer and this becomes a serious problem for many patients and their families. The “HENARAN” (RELIANCE) Foundation can help better understand the cancer-related issues, treatment options and support activities, as well as set up through a “support group” useful communication with other patients, including cancer survivors. The Foundation is always ready to provide free psychological and legal assistance, help understand how to navigate through healthcare system, give a briefing on patient rights, as well as provide contact information of consultants, home care service providers, education and information centers.
Contact details: Miss Hripsime Martirosyan, Co-founder and Executive Director / Phone: (+374) 091-432458 (Viber) / (+374) 093-432458 / E-mail: henaran.fund@gmail.com / Facebook: Հենարան Հիմնադրամ / Reliance Foundation
The Big C. is a start-up social enterprise with a new innovative way of experiencing coffee and social impact for young people who have been affected by cancer. We believe that social and economic opportunities are necessary for these young people to develop themselves and their own community.
Get your free coffee and join our community now via www.thebigc.be or www.facebook.be/thebigcstory and don’t forget to follow us on IG @TheBigCStory.
Contact details: hello@thebigc.be / +32 497 14 96 84
Flanders Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patient Coalition is founded by young cancer survivors that wanted to do something back for other young cancer fighters. They organize youth-crazy-fun-friendly activities to have more peer contact so that everybody gets a chance to meet other young people that are going through the same life experience.
You can find us on www.flaya.org or www.facebook.be/jongerenmetkanker. Check out our activities and join whenever you are ready, we are here for you.
Contact details: info@flaya.org / +32 497 14 96 84
The association was established in 2010 by parents of children with cancer. It is the only parenting organization in Bulgaria for children with onco-hematological diseases which offers complex psychological support both for children and parents, art therapy, pedagogical sessions, consultations – all aimed at overcoming social adjustment, emotional effects of the disease and facilitating reintegration and return to normal life. One of the main objectives of the organization is the establishment of groups for self-support and building a society of survivors of childhood cancer in Bulgaria.
In 2013 the association’s daily centre was opened near the hospital in Sofia to support children, their parents and other family members with difficulties they are facing in the everyday life. The association is also working on a project to build a National Center for Recovery and Rehabilitation for children with onco-hematological diseases.
Contact details: www.decaohz.org / info@decaohz.org; ohz_deca@abv.bg / +359 895 733060
Firefly is a humanitarian association for helping children and families facing malignant diseases. The aim of the Association is to improve the quality of life of children suffering from malignant diseases and their families, and to build a society that understands the problems of children suffering from malignant diseases and their families.
Some of the activities comprise:
Regular activities:
Contact details: www.krijesnica.hr / krijesnica@krijesnica.hr / +38513770022
KRTEK – Endowment Fund for Paediatric Oncology forms an integral part of the Department of Paediatric Oncology of the University Hospital in Brno. It has been supporting the work of the Department’s physicians and healthcare professionals since 1999. Its highest priority is to improve the experience of children hospitalized at the Department and to make their stay more pleasant, and to provide assistance throughout the therapy and support in coping with the late effects of therapy. It strives to secure additional equipment for the Department’s units, and contributes towards research and further education of the physicians and healthcare personnel. Whenever the need arises, the Fund develops specific projects providing targeted assistance to individual hospitalized children, as well as the children who have completed active treatment and are facing its late effects.
KRTEK – Endowment Fund for Paediatric Oncology was the main partner of the project “Krtek v síti” (The Mole in the Net) conducted under the Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme Slovak Republic – Czech Republic 2007-2013 and co-funded from the European Regional Development Fund. The project was implemented in 08/2012-02/2015 and its purpose was to establish a partner network facilitating the return of children who have undergone cancer treatment back to everyday life, and to develop sports and physical education programmes suitable for children with cancer during and after the therapy.
Contact details: www.krtek-nf.cz / info@krtek-nf.cz / +420 545 244 411
We support teenagers and young people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Adolescence is difficult as it is, and an oncological disease adds a heavy load… on the spirit as well as the body. At Pink Bubble, our mission is that not only the youngest kids but also older ones know that they have someone to lean on during this complicated phase of life. Be it the treatment itself, the recovery or their return to everyday life.
Contact details: www.pinkbubble.cz / martina@pinkbubble.cz / +420 602 209 891
We created for the first time in Denmark a platform for self-‐expression by and for students in the form of a printed magazine, distributed nationally (Revolve Magazine). After 3 years of managing a magazine, one of the founders (Alex Tene – a former cancer patient) established STUDENT360 IVS. The company believes in creating a national platform that, on the long run, will bring value for both students and companies.
Contact details: www.student360.dk / alext@student360.dk / +4591975281
The Cancer Paradigm
The Cancer Paradigm will be a book targeted at cancer patients, relatives, friends and professionals in the field, with the purpose of looking at the cancer experience differently.
To connect with Finnish young people affected by cancer check out the blog http://www.siskot.info/blogi/category/emmi/ ran by a peer group of volunteers.
You can also contact Emmi Leppänen directly on emmi_leppanen@hotmail.com
The German Foundation for Young Adults with Cancer was founded on July 14, 2014 by the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology e.V. (DGHO). The aim of the foundation is to improve the treatment options and care situation for young adults with cancer.
We’re here to help and support young people with cancer by promoting science and research, as well as public health. Our foundation sees itself as the point of contact for all questions from patients, relatives, scientists, supporters and the public.
Contact details:
We Can Be Heroes was founded in Germany in May 2016 by Andrea Voß, who herself was diagnosed twice with cancer. She organises free concert and festival tickets for young cancer patients all over Germany.
The contact in social media groups and in meetings brings patients together to create a community of people that are able to share their experiences and learn from each other.
The Hero Crew runs projects including:
Contact details:
Kyttaro is the association of Greek survivors. All of the members are former patients, who got diagnosed while they were children or teenagers, up until the age of 18. Our main goal is to provide support, both moral and material, to the children who are now fighting and their families. We visit them in the hospital and in the guest house which exists in the center of Athens, that provides accommodation for families living outside of Athens. We also organize events and attend congresses around Europe.
Contact details: gesereme@hotmail.gr
YouCan Ireland was founded in February 2015 by a group of volunteers who themselves have been diagnosed with cancer as young adults and who wished they had somewhere to turn when they heard the words ‘you have cancer’. YouCan Ireland is supported by the Irish Cancer Society and St. Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar. As we are a nationwide support network and want to be accessible to young adults in all parts of the country, YouCan Ireland is travelling around Ireland, hosting open days in cancer support centers nationwide.
Contact details: youcanireland@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/
CanCare4Living’s purpose is to advocate for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer and to raise awareness, both in the survivor community and the health care community, for the need for a follow up service.
Our aims are:
We are on the Irish National Cancer Control Programme sub-committee on survivorship and co-operate with Irish Cancer Society, CanTeen Ireland and the Childhood Cancer Foundation.
We are members of PanCare (multi-disciplinary pan-European network) and Childhood Cancer International and are part of the Youth Cancer Europe network.
Website: https://www.cancare4living.ie/
HalasSartan is the only home in Israel for tens of thousands young cancer patients, which operates also as a community and a digital platform and for enhancing initiatives of young recovering patients.
HalasSartan was established to improve the quality of life for young patients and survivors, and to enhance the recognition in this age group as a unique and separate category in the health system.
Contact details: Shani Adelshtein | COO | Phone: +972-3-7318525 | E-mail: info@tal-center.org
Web site: http://www.stop-cancer.co.il/ / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halasartan/
Founded in 2014 by Maricla Pannocchia, the Italian charity Adolescenti e cancro (Teens and Cancer) offers free recreational activities to young people aged 13-24 years old who have or have had cancer and their loved ones. This can be days out, taking part in conferences and other cancer related events as well as residentials during which these young people have the chance to meet others in similar situations as well as take part in fun and constructive activities. We also advocate for childhood and teenage cancer, keeping updated with what’s going on in Italy, in Europe and even in the world in general on this topic, and sharing it with our followers, doing our best to let the general audience know what struggles young people with cancer and their families have to go through. For this, we also take part to national and international awereness campaigns, organizing local events on such dates. We also share young people stories either in a written form or as a videos to bring awereness and we’re working on our first documentary. Even if our main focus in on supporting Italian young people, some of our activities such as free holidays in Italy are open to young people living abroad .
If you want to get in touch with us you can write to adolescentiecancro@yahoo.it
Our website: www.adolescentiecancro.org
Come and follow us on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/adolescentiecancro
The cancer support society was founded in 2004 and is the leading organization in Latvia, which helps cancer patients and their relatives. The goal of “Dzivibas koks” is to improve the quality of oncological treatment in Latvia that includes prophylaxis, early-diagnosis, high-quality treatment and rehabilitation after cancer. Moreover, we want to eliminate stereotypes and fears from cancer that rule our society.
The priority of “Dzivibas koks” is to succeed in making psycho-social rehabilitation happen so that individuals can receive the needed mental support.
Psycho-social rehabilitation, in simple words, is the space in which the patient receives help and support in order to return to fulfilling social and economic life. A person learns to live with oneself and the diagnosis accumulating strength and energy during this process. By undergoing psycho-social rehabilitation the individuals are able to help not only themselves, but also others who have dealt with cancer.
Contact details: +371 67625339 / dzivibaskoks@dzivibaskoks.lv / https://www.dzivibaskoks.lv
Lithuanian Cancer Patient Coalition (lt. Pagalbos onkologiniams ligoniams asociacija, POLA) is an umbrella non-governmental organisation, uniting other non-governmental organisations that work in the cancer field in the Republic of Lithuania. Currently POLA has 20 members, majority of which are cancer patient organisations and the remaining members are the foundations, social organisations working in the cancer field. POLA is dedicated to represent the interests of cancer patients / carers in the decision-making process, aiming to improve cancer patients’ quality of life via promoting their interests in front of competent authorities, raising awareness about cancer issues among general public via social projects, educational and information tools.
Contact details: www.pola.lt / info@pola.lt / +370 686 39032
“Paguoda” was established in Vilnius ,Lithuania in 1993 as non-profit public organization.
Association “Paguoda” has been a member of the Childhood Cancer International (CCI) since 1999.
In Lithuania, there are about 100 children affected with cancer every year and about 85% of them achieve long-term remission.
Our vision is to unite children treated for cancer and childhood cancer survivors ,as well as their parents, quardians and relatives in Lithuania.
A major disaster tends to bring people together and make them united; therefore the Association “Paguoda” goes hand in hand with families raising children with cancer and helps the sick children to fulfil their dream – TO LIVE.
Childhood cancer is an endless cognitive process which through the modern treatment can offer hope and a real opportunity for each patient. In order to succeed, we must provide moral and mental support to those who are sick,help them intergrate into society, as well as promote public understanding through implementing SURVIVORS GROUP operating in the ranks of the Association.
Lithuanian Children’s Cancer Association would like to participate and solve problems together. Witnessing successful cases of healing will help us feel supported and believe that the hope to LIVE is truly REAL.
Contact details: info@paguoda.lt www.paguoda.lt
SANO is a voluntary, non-profit, non-governmental, non-partisan organization formed with free association of citizens in order to realize and harmonize their interests and to perform activities in order to raise awareness among the public for better health, social status and better access to education with special emphasis on children with cancers and their families. One of the main goals and objectives of the Association is help and support, better diagnosis and treatment, access to modern therapy for children who have been fighting or overcome cancer as a disease, as well as help and support for their family and friends.
Contact details: Infosano@yahoo.com, https://www.facebook.com/
The association delivers a series of quality services in the area of paediatric oncology in the Republic of Moldova, including daily psychosocial support programs for patients, events for young cancer survivors, professionalism in coordinating volunteers, care and constant involvement from a dedicated team. The association has been collaborating with Little People Romania for the past years in builiding a national community of survivors and participating in international events organized in Romania meant to empower cancer survivors.
Contact details: www.thelittlepeople.ro / armasue@gmail.com / 0037369107515
The purpose of the association is to provide guidance and support to and defending the interests of parents, siblings and grandparents of children with cancer, parents of children cured of cancer, from parents of cancer deceased children, and is putting effort to improve the position of children with cancer and children and adults survived of cancer, all in the broadest sense. The association seeks to achieve this goal by including personal contacts, information, social influence, participation and representation. The VOKK has an active group VOX (the VOKK-survivors) who are working on an national network, organize meetings etc.
Contact details: www.vokk.nl / bureau@vokk.nl / +31 30 24 22 944
Alivia promotes modern approach to cancer and patients active attitude, it levarages the accessibility of the world’s achievements in medicine, pharmacology and psycho-oncology. Foundation organizes financial help for cancer patients – it pays for the expensive therapy, medicines, diagnostics and transport to medical centres. Alivia also publishes relevant information about the newest treatments and diagnostics methods on it’s website. Alivia has an extensive knowledge and experience in building communication strategies with patients (websites, marketing publications, event managment).
Contact details: www.alivia.org.pl / info@alivia.org.pl / +48 22 266 03 40
The “Pomóż im” (Help them) Foundation was created on 2nd July 2007 on the foundation of the Society of Friends of Children with Proliferative Disorders operating since 9th April 1991. Our activity focuses on taking care of children suffering from cancer in the whole macro region of North-East Poland – the patients of the Paediatric Oncology and Haematology department of the Medical University of Białystok. Since 1st May 2009, with the start of the Home Hospice for Children, our activity has also been focused on looking after terminally ill children from the whole Podlaskie Region. Furthermore, since then our activity has been two sided – on the one hand, we help children and their families during treatment and after overcoming the disease, and on the other hand we provide free palliative home care for children that have no chance to recover.
The foundation helps patients at every stage of the disease: from diagnosis to full recovery, also providing survivors with support, even years after treatment. We offer help to the families and siblings of our patients in the form of support groups. We do our best to keep the Clinic as colourful as possible, and to make the fairy-tale worlds painted on our windows help the kids in their struggle. Within the “Fairy-tale Rooms” project we do our best to make more down-to-earth dreams of our patients and their families come true by modernizing or remodelling their houses. Often, these families live in very modest conditions which make it difficult for the children to rehabilitate and recover.
We remember about every important date in the child’s life – their birthday, Saint Nicholas Day, Children’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Easter – by celebrating them cheerfully, remembering about gifts, organising games and meetings with exceptional people, we also try to make the children’s every-day wishes come true. Our volunteers spend the afternoons with our young patients: they have fun and learn together. We work actively to help the children fully recover and believe that they can have the same life as their peers.
The rehabilitation holidays organized by our foundation are aimed at improving the children’s physical and mental fitness, as well as their ability to have fun, work and participate in the social life that children and young people have after surviving cancer. In particular, we focus on improving their health, well-being, and physical condition, and developing their personal resourcefulness and independence. Thanks to these holidays, the children can have a complete physical and mental rest, as well as develop cooperation, build group integrity, and improve their social skills. We also teach them how to lead a healthy life and “monitor” their health after recovery. Currently we are setting up the first Survivor Support Centre in Poland for children who suffered from cancer.
Every year we organize a convention for childhood cancer survivors and their families called “Onkosurvivors Meeting” (“Zjazd Onkoludków”).
We are also there when children cannot overcome their disease and need support in such difficult times, as well as professional care and companionship for the children and their families. In such situations, we provide all-day doctors’ and nurses’ care, as well as rehabilitation, psychological and spiritual support within a home hospice.
We also support the Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, which is one of the referral centres in Poland for monitoring and treating complications in cancer chemotherapy, cooperating with other European institutions within PanCare projects. Through the experience of Childhood Cancer International we are planning to establish active cooperation with similar organisations in Europe and around the world.
Contact details: http://pomozim.org.pl / biuro@pomozim.org.pl / +48 85 66 22 003
Little People’s psychosocial patient support services reach the largest number of child and young adult cancer patients in Romania and is the only service provider present in all 8 major regional treatment centres, providing a standardised, consistent approach to the psychological and emotional needs of cancer patient children, young people and their families.
Our full spectrum care provides psychological and emotional social support to the child and its family from the moment of diagnosis: parent education, patient-centred interventions through the award winning Nu mi-e frica! program for the younger ones and age-appropriate peer-support and specialised interventions for teenagers and young adults, special outings and focus group meetings with survivors, long term follow up care and surveillance after end of treatment, as well as patient education and advocacy training.
Having an active partnership with all of the 13 paediatric oncology units of the country and the Romanian Society of Paediatric Hemato-Oncologists, supporting them through organising national and international meetings and conferences, at the same time delivering consistent services Monday to Sunday in seven of the biggest treatment centres across the county, Little People developed the largest patient reach and most comprehensive insight into the needs of childhood and teenage cancer patients in Romania. In 2014 the latest of the four renovated playrooms in childhood cancer units across Romania was developed in such a way that besides the play and learning area of the little ones a separate, intimate relaxation and gaming room was inaugurated for teenage patients. Since 2013 the organisation extended its services to the Republic of Moldova as well, providing daily psychosocial support services in both of the existing paediatric oncology units of the country.
A project of Little People, the TEMERARII Club for Romanian cancer survivor teenagers and young adults was founded in 2006. Focus group meetings for survivors take place in many cities across the country and the Annual General Assembly of the members is scheduled each year on the last day of the Temerarii Summer Camp. The meetings provide specialised support unique to their needs of coping, successful reintegration into society and support for school re-entry. In 2013 the Little People Association has become the most awarded and recognised non-profit organisation in Romania.
Contact details: contact@thelittlepeople.ro / 004 0754 066 440 / www.thelittlepeople.ro
Cika Boca is a registered parent association founded 3 years ago. It gathers over 100 parents of children treated for cancer and 80 young survivors. Our activities are focused on rehabilitation, providing psychosocial support and improving mechanisms in the education and health care system. Occasionally we hire professionals, but most of the work is done with the help of volunteers – parents whose children have been treated and people of goodwill. We are active members of ICCCPO (CCI), PanCare and YCE, as well as national networks MODS, Federation of Associations of patients Serbia and MPIO (Network for social inclusion).
Three years ago we gathered a group of young cancer survivors called „MladiCe”. They are involved in various activities aimed at increasing social inclusion of themselves, but they also have a great contribution in helping children and young people who are currently being treated. Some of the projects in which they participated are: Internet radio MadiCe, rehabilitation camp “We can do everything”, debates for students of medicine and psychology, regional conventions for young cancer surviviors, visit oncology wards, support program “Back to school” for kids and teens after treatment, also support to teachers in the school.
Contact details: www.cikaboca.org; www.radio-mladice.rs / roditelji@cikaboca.org / mladice@radio-mladice.rs +381 11 405 94 14
Our foundation promotes the study of late effects of cancer treatment in children who have survived, mitigate side effects of treatment, helps long-term survivors of childhood cancer with technical aids and supports them to obtain education appropriate to their abilities by giving scolarships to some of our survivors. It also provides psychological support and medical assistance as well as the possibility of rehabilitation.
We offer psychosocial support to our long-term survivors for almost 20 years, organising vacations and camping of our patients at different locations (thermal baths, mountains, see) and psychological group rehabilitation meetings.
Contact details: www.ustanova-malivitez.si / info@ustanova-malivitez.si /
+38640543802
The Spanish Association of adolescents and young adults with cancer serves as a platform between patients, health professionals, associations and foundations to enable them to join forces and act together with the aim of raising awareness and improving the treatment and care of this group of young patients. The association is dedicated to bringing patients, relatives and professionals together to create a community of people that are able to share their experiences and learn from each other. This is done via social media but also by organizing regular events to encourage dialogue and support.
Contact details: www.aaacancer.org / mail4anauk@yahoo.com / 00447748591483
The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation works to ensure that affected children, teens and their families receive the care and support they need. The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation was founded in 1979 by parents of children with cancer, with the aim of creating a more hopeful future for children and teens diagnosed with cancer.
In the 1970s, a minority of children diagnosed with cancer survived. Today, almost 40 years later, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation is the largest financier of childhood cancer research in Sweden and today more than 80 percent of the affected children survive. The vision of the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation is to eradicate childhood cancer.
Contact details: info@barncancerfonden.se / https://www.barncancerfonden.se/en/
Shine Cancer Support is a UK charity that supports people living with any type of cancer diagnosis in their 20s, 30s and 40s. We have 11 networks across the UK and run a series of national events including hundreds of young adults living with cancer every year.
Contact details: hi@shinecancersupport.org / www.shinecancersupport.org
Every day in the UK 34 young adults in their 20s and 30s are diagnosed with cancer, so Trekstock delivers national practical and social support programmes tailored to their needs, to give them a better chance of living well through and beyond diagnosis, treatment and life after cancer.
Through exercise support, practical advice and an active online and offline community, its programmes tackle social isolation, improve quality of life and provide young adults with the tools they need to get moving again after cancer puts their life on hold.
Contact details: Jemima Reynolds Health Support & Engagement Officer health@trekstock.com / 0207 439 8607
