The Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Palencia will open its new headquarters tomorrow in the heart of the city. Located on General Amor Street and next to the Church of La Compañía, it will have 400 square meters and a distribution adapted to the needs of patients, workers and volunteers of the association. A change that, as explained by the president of the entity, Rosa Andrés Carvajal, was “essential to be able to continue providing quality services.”
“We occupied a first floor in a rented apartment, but due to the increase in patients and staff, it became too small and forced us to physically disperse activities to the detriment of efficiency,” he assured Ical. Furthermore, these new facilities respond to the need to have a place “at street level” so that the most vulnerable patients can access it much more easily. «It is not just a headquarters. It is a home where we can share sorrows, joys and worries, as well as a refuge that offers security, comfort and a sense of belonging,” said Andrés Carvajal.
The truth is that when cancer is diagnosed in a member of a family, it is such unexpected news that it disrupts not only the life of the patient but also of all the people around them. It is then that he begins a long distance race with analytical, radiological or anatomical tests. Visits to the oncology service follow one another and the patient must face surgical interventions, chemotherapy treatments and long waits. A stage begins full of uncertainties, fears and fellow travelers who remain along the way. «The sick feel helpless, vulnerable, fragile and helpless. The goal of the association is to put the patient at the center of everything. Be that gateway where he will meet magnificent professionals willing to help him with everything he needs.
Once you enter the new facilities and pass the reception, patients and their families can access the multifunction, meeting or wig rooms. It also houses all the material that the association lends free of charge to the sick, such as beds, wheelchairs or canes. Culture is present through an exhibition corner where artists can present their works.
Rooms, all of them bathed in a green color of hope and a call for research on all four sides. That is why such illustrious people as Ramón y Cajal, Trinidad Arroyo, Severo Ochoa, Margarita Salas or Teófila Caderot give names to many of the rooms that make up the association. A small tribute to all those who dedicated their lives to fighting this difficult and feared disease. “We are really excited and committed to this new space, we have set ourselves some challenges to be able to offer cancer patients and their families in Palencia and the province: efficiency and quality of service, equity, image and social reputation,” said the president.
In fact, by having better and larger facilities, the association will be able to launch a new program of activities. “There will be grief therapies, crochet workshops, volunteering, social skills for people with ostomies and soon we will be able to start physical exercise classes.” Andrés Carvajal recalled that all these new developments will be incorporated into the portfolio of services that were already provided by the entity completely free of charge, such as, for example, psychological or social care, physiotherapy for lymphedema, leisure and free time workshops. , smoking cessation courses, research scholarships or prevention programs that promote healthy lifestyle habits.
In fact, in 2023 alone they treated a total of 2,022 Palencia residents, most of them as psychological support as a result of the emotional discomfort derived from the disease. Another of the services most in demand by cancer patients was the home palliative care unit, as well as the loan of material, the management of accommodation or financial aid that allows them to address work difficulties derived from the disease.
In total, the AECC has 3,850 members in Palencia, 32 provincial delegates and 380 volunteers. «We have a long way to go and this new headquarters will allow us to advance in the coming years in this project that is part of the commitment of an entire nation and an international movement against cancer. A project in favor of life,” concluded Carvajal.
2024-01-28 17:59:57
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