Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
PALERMO – Turning deep personal grief into a collective mission of life, solidarity and hope. With this spirit, the non-profit association “Alessia, Joshua and… Aps – For life, research and hope” has been founded in Palermo, an organisation entirely dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancers and to the continuous support of oncological research.
The project bears in its name the memory of Alessia, who died at just eight years old, and Joshua, who passed away at 13. The ellipsis in the official name symbolically represents all the children and adolescents who have faced or are still fighting an oncological disease.
Awareness, schools and practical support for families
The association aims to be a point of reference across Sicily and nationally through a broad programme of activities. Its priority objectives include promoting awareness campaigns about childhood cancers, organising charity events, educational initiatives in schools and fundraisers for specialist research centres.
Alongside its scientific and outreach work, the Aps intends to provide practical and psychological support to the families of young patients, developing a synergistic network of collaboration with hospitals, universities, local authorities and third-sector organisations.
The promoters of the initiative have reiterated the central importance of the community value of the new organisation:
“No family should feel alone when a child is ill. We want remembrance to give rise to solidarity, care and new opportunities for children and their families.”
The launch of the association represents an important step in strengthening Sicily’s social and healthcare solidarity network, offering practical tools to support oncological medicine and communities affected by these complex diseases.
