Child Protection Italy Project #52260

"Great against Cancer Family Homes" for Children

by Soleterre ETS

Project Report | Oct 1, 2026
First Steps at the Dacha: A Year of Home

By Giacomo Carlini | International Partnership

Some children take their first steps in a living room, surrounded by family. Viktoria took hers at the Dacha, Soleterre's family home in Kyiv, a few minutes from the National Cancer Institute.

Vika's story

Viktoria (Vika to everyone) is two and comes from Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine. Her mother, Mariana, is a pharmacist who stopped working to raise Vika and her big brother Denys. One day Mariana took Vika for an ultrasound, just in time: it showed a nephroblastoma, a malignant kidney tumour. Since then Vika has been treated at the National Cancer Institute and has lived at the Dacha with her mother.

The team and the other families have watched her grow day by day. This is where she said her first words. She has lost her hair because of the treatment, but not her playful spirit: whenever someone picks her up, she grabs a lock of their hair and puts it on her own head. "She remembers when I used to tie her hair in a little ponytail," Mariana says. "Recently she found some hair ties and keeps putting them on her head."

Mariana misses her son and dreams of the day the family will be together again, when she can braid real ribbons into Vika's hair.

One year at the Dacha, in numbers

314 family stays
8,097 nights of free accommodation
1,630 trips to and from the hospital
210 physiotherapy sessions
279 psychological sessions for children and 223 for parents
284 volunteer activities
Over 90% of guests said they felt "at home" during treatment

More than a roof

Every month families receive food parcels, and children get fresh fruit every week. Volunteers run art therapy, cooking workshops, movie nights and trips to the theatre, the aquarium and the lake. The Massage Patrol visits regularly to help parents rest. A new computer station lets children keep up with school during long treatments, and new parents receive a practical guide written with families who have stayed here before.

What comes next

After a long time at full capacity, some rooms need renovating. We have assessed them and planned the work for the coming months. We have also introduced clear guidelines on how long families can stay, so that a room is always ready for the next child who arrives.

Thank you for helping us give children like Vika a home while they fight cancer. Your support turns a place to stay into a place to grow.

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Jun 9, 2026
Greater Than Cancer

By Giacomo Carlini | International Partnership

Soleterre's psychologist with young patient

Greater Than Cancer: Supporting Children with Cancer and Their Families

How can we improve the quality of life of children and adolescents with cancer, and of the people who care for them, by going beyond medical treatment alone? This is the question at the heart of Greater Than Cancer: Quality of Life and Psychological Wellbeing for Children with Cancer and Their Caregivers from Northern to Southern Italy, a project promoted by Soleterre and funded by the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies through the fund for assistance to children affected by oncological disease.

After more than one year of implementation, the project has already reached more than 600 people across Pavia and Taranto, two very different contexts united by the same need: ensuring continuous support for children with cancer and their families. In the second semester alone, 243 patients received psycho-oncological support, compared to 154 in the first semester, while 352 family members benefited from the project’s services.

The results also show the growing importance of support for adolescents, along with strengthened psycho-educational activities for children, young people, and caregivers. At the same time, the project expanded its social support and rights-orientation services, helping identify situations of economic vulnerability and reducing the risk of health-related poverty.

These outcomes confirm the value of an integrated model that combines psycho-oncology, educational activities, social accompaniment, and economic support. Built through collaboration between healthcare facilities, universities, third-sector organizations, and local communities, the project aims to offer continuity of care both inside and outside the hospital, and to become a replicable model for supporting children with cancer and their families in Italy.

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Feb 11, 2026
When the Light Goes Out, Care Cannot Stop

By Giacomo Carlini | International Partnership

Vira

When the Light Goes Out, Care Cannot StopSummary

In Ukraine, children with cancer are fighting two battles at once: their illness and the consequences of war. Power outages, medicine shortages and displacement threaten the continuity of life-saving treatments. Through its partnership with the local organization Zaporuka, Soleterre ensures that pediatric oncology care continues in Kyiv and Lviv by providing medicines, backup power solutions, psychosocial support and free accommodation for displaced families near hospitals.

The Challenge

Cancer treatment requires stability: electricity for medical devices and drug storage, continuous access to chemotherapy, and families able to stay close to hospitals.

In Ukraine, ongoing attacks on infrastructure cause frequent blackouts and supply disruptions. Families are often displaced far from home, facing unexpected costs for accommodation, transport and food. Without support, these conditions can delay or interrupt treatment, increasing the risk of dropout and worsening outcomes for children with cancer.

The Story: Vira

Vira is 16 years old and comes from Dnipro. She is being treated for sarcoma at the Western Children’s Hospital in Lviv. Like many young patients, Vira had to leave her home to access specialized care. The war has made her journey even harder: shortages of medicines, electricity cuts and uncertainty have become part of daily life.

Thanks to Soleterre and its partners, Vira can continue her treatment in a hospital that remains operational despite blackouts, while her family receives support to stay close to her during this critical time.

Our Solution

Together with Zaporuka and hospital partners, Soleterre focuses on three key actions:

Ensuring continuous access to essential oncology medicines
Providing backup energy systems to keep hospitals functioning during power outages
Offering free accommodation and psychosocial support for displaced families near hospitals

This integrated approach protects treatment continuity and supports both the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and caregivers.

Long-Term Impact

Maintaining uninterrupted cancer care during conflict significantly reduces treatment interruptions and dropout rates. Stable access to medicines, electricity and family support improves quality of life during treatment and increases the chances of recovery.

Beyond medical outcomes, these interventions preserve hope and dignity for families facing the trauma of war while caring for a seriously ill child.

What Your Donation Supports

Your contribution helps to:

Purchase and distribute life-saving oncology medicines
Install and maintain generators and backup power systems
Cover free accommodation costs for displaced families
Provide psychosocial support for children and caregivers
Ensure emergency logistics and transport to hospitals

Thank You

Your support makes it possible for children like Vira to continue fighting cancer even when everything around them is uncertain. When the light goes out, your solidarity helps ensure that care does not stop.

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