Geneva: a bicycle trip to fight against pediatric cancer

“I heard that a person does not die when his heart stops, but when we stop talking about her,” says Samuel Fleet. This sentence resonates a lot in my project. My friend Noah Clavien died of cancer in 2021. He was 17 years old. I want us to talk about him and all the other sick children. ”

On August 6, Samuel, a student at the Saussure college, will start a trip of nearly 400 kilometers by bike. From Bernex, the portrait of his friend on the chest, he will pedal for three days to reach the Liechtenstein. This sporting challenge maintains a particular objective for the 19 -year -old schoolboy: to educate the population of pediatric cancers.

“We know that adults can have cancers, but we don’t talk enough about the diseases that affect children. This trip allows me to speak to this taboo and raise funds that will be donated to la fo fortation castenach. She finances research to better treat pediatric cancers. ”

“I’m just the face of the project”

At the start of the school year in September, Samuel Fleet will start his fourth year at the College of Saussure. This trip across the country is also the practical part of its maturity work (TM). “It’s much more than a TM, it’s a project that I like too much and that I can’t wait to lead,” he says.

Cancer has already been close to the young man when her mother was sick: “She survived and I screened her experience on that of Noah. We played together when he returned from his treatments. I did not imagine that a child who has still experienced almost nothing could die. I want to talk about it and the fact that it is a young person who does it, it certainly touches more. ”

Samuel specifies his story and his project on An Instagram page that he created for the occasion. He also indicates having made up a kitty Hoping to reach 3000 francs of donations. His project has affected the population, and today, his harvest is more than 15,000 francs.

Still surprised, he testified: “As soon as I posted My videoI received a lot of support. The donations did not stop and in a few weeks I had already collected more than 10,000 francs. At first it was stressful to see all this craze behind my project, but it motivates a lot. All this is possible thanks to people. I’m just the face of the project, but it belongs to everyone. ”

Contacted by phone, Noah Clavien’s parents are touched: “People were marked by the history of our son and there was a big solidarity chain. Samuel’s project brews us, but we support it completely. It is a huge tribute to Noah that he offers us. ”

Almost one case per day

The money raised will be fully paid to the Cansearch foundation, based in Geneva. Its mission focuses on pediatric cancers. More specifically, the Foundation finances research to adapt the treatments to the genetics of each patient in order to make treatment less toxic.

Valérie Steck, secretary general of Cansearch, contextualized: “In Switzerland, there are about 350 new diagnoses per year which announce that a child develops cancer And half of them are less than five years old. About 90% of the patients heal, but current treatments leave them after. Without foundations like ours, there would be no research in pediatric oncology. ”

For more than a month, Samuel Fleet has been training regularly. Before his project, he did not really bike, but now he appreciates this sport. “Talent is not going into play in performance,” he said. You just have to be consistent. “

He also knows that this experience will bring him something else: “I notice how much the support of people, just a like Or a comment on the networks, gives strength. And this story also teaches me to put things into perspective. Health is like a crown that we have and that is invisible. We sometimes consider it acquired, but It is a real privilege.»

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