The seed of Pequeno Príncipe, Brazil’s largest pediatric hospital, was planted when a group of women who were part of the Violets’ Guilt brought Red Cross to Curitiba. Through this organization the Children’s Hygiene and Childcare Institute was created in 1919 and it offered free medical service to families that couldn’t afford this kind of service. A hundred years later, the conclusion about the work developed by this pioneer Hospital is very positive.

“We were born to support the development of a healthy childhood. Over the years, we understood that health and other rights walk side by side. Food, education, culture, family interaction, respect, and love are part of an unbreakable unit to guarantee a healthy childhood. This is what we have worked for in these 100 years and we are committed to continue striving towards this for the 100 to come,” defines Ety Cristina Forte Carneiro, the Pequeno Príncipe’s executive director.

And this is one of the subjects of the Pequeno Príncipe News’ 13th edition, that also presents details about a research project develop by researchers of Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute that established a protocol for the early diagnosis of adrenal cortex cancer. The study described in an article published in the Cancers Journal, on November, also shows the correlation between environmental aspects and the incidence of this type of cancer in the South and South-East regions of Brazil.

Another article of this news’ edition is about the Pequeno Príncipe Gala, that brought together 350 supporters of the institution in New York, on October. The 2019 special dinner, that was held at Gotham Hall, celebrated the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital’s centennial and also the thousands of lives that have been transformed by the institution. The event raised over US$ 1,1 million and these funds are being invested in research projects and in the acquisition of equipment and high cost medication used to treat children who suffer from cancer and other complex diseases.

At last, a report tells the story of the 22-year-old nursing technician Thaís Toledo, who is a Pequeno Príncipe former patient. In her narration, she remembers her long treatment in the Hospital – a truly story of resilience –, as well as the friendships and lessons that came from this experience. “I’m grateful for Pequeno Príncipe for teaching me what is empathy,” she says.

Click here and read the full-length articles in the 13th edition of Pequeno Príncipe News.