Guanacaste Received Training on Adolescent Cancer Issues

Proyecto Daniel organized the VII edition of the Symposium “Educando con el Corazón”, in the province of Guanacaste, in order to raise awareness of the appropriate approach to address cancer diagnoses in adolescents.

This year, 250 people participated, among them teachers, counselors, representatives of the Municipality, professionals from the Dr. Enrique BaltodanoBriceño hospital, the Red Cross and Ebais from the areas of Liberia, Bagaces, Cañas and La Cruz.

Topics such as general aspects of cancer, treatments and side effects, emotional impact of cancer, rights of young people to continue their studies, protocols in educational centers, psycho-pedagogical approach for cancer patients, prevention, early detection and grief were addressed.

Ana LigiaEcheverría, Proyecto Daniel education coordinator, explained that:

For the foundation, it is very important to report warning signs for early detection. We hope teachers share this information with students so they can recognize any red flags.

For Ligia Bobadilla, president and founder of Proyecto Daniel:

The Symposium has allowed us to empower teachers to be attentive to changes in their students, to intercede for them with the health authorities when access is difficult, and to handle cases of students in treatment in the best possible way. In addition, we have created awareness of the responsibility that schools have to provide help to students, but not out of obligation but out of empathy, hence the name of the symposium EDUCATING WITH THE HEART.

This year the province of Guanacaste was chosen because we have seen cases that are referred to Hospital México when the disease is already advanced. In recent years, in Guanacaste there has been an increase in the incidence of cancer and some types of cancer that were previously seen only in adults, “are being detected more and more in young children,” Bobadilla commented.

In previous years it was held in San José, in the area of ​​San Carlos, Perez Zeledón, Puntarenas and now Guanacaste, which includes Liberia, Bagaces, La Cruz and Cañas.

Incidence of cancer in adolescents in Guanacaste

According to data from the Project to Strengthen Comprehensive Cancer Care in the Network of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), in the province of Guanacaste, between 18 and 20 cases of cancer are diagnosed per year in young people between the ages of 15 and the 24 years.

Project Daniel continues to bear fruit

Among the objectives of Proyecto Daniel is to raise awareness in Costa Rican society about the fight against cancer in adolescents, promote programs that help these young people, as well as provide emotional support to adolescents and their families.

Another of the objectives is to develop and execute fundraising activities that are used both for the financial aid of the young people included in the Project and for the future creation of a specific place where they are treated.

Some of the milestones of Proyecto Daniel are:

• January 2012: inauguration of the first rooms for the care of young people with cancer at Hospital San Juan de Dios.
• August 2013: opening of rooms for the care of young people with cancer at the México hospital.
• March 2015: inauguration of the waiting rooms of the Mexico hospital.
• May 2017: opening of rooms for the care of young people with cancer at the Dr. Rafael ÁngelCalderón Guardia hospital.
• November 2018: hematology waiting room Hospital San Juan de Dios.
• September 2022: First Stem Cell Processing Laboratory at Hospital Calderón Guardia.
• April 2023: restoration of the waiting room and room on the 5th floor of the Hospital México.
• June 2023: restoration of the room on the 6th floor of the Hospital México.