Association "Heart for the Children with Cancer" gathered today in Sarajevo with its members, volunteers, partners and friends to mark the International Childhood Cancer Day of Children and celebrate life, stressing the importance of professional support in the process treatment, and remembering those who unfortunately lost the battle to cancer.

Fikret Kubat, Director of the Association, told reporters that the childhood cancer survival rate nowdays is about 80%, and even higher for leukemia. He said this was encouraging and highlighted the conditions in the Parents' House where children and their family members stay during treatment.

"Our primary goal is to have no more losses, no more pain, and the Parents' House contributes to it. We can be proud of the fact that this facility is close to the Pediatric Clinic and offers a wide range of free services, from accommodation to psychosocial and pedagogical help and support. We are also remembering all those children who lost the battle, they are still our heroes, and their parents deserve the full support of the Association as well as the entire society." - emphasized Mr. Kubat.

Twenty-year-old Lamija Adilović has undergone a treatment process that has been long and painful. However, with the support of family and friends, she won the battle against cancer with her own will and strength.

She is now a member of a group of young cancer survivors - Mladice, within the Association. They support and encourage children in treatement to be strong, since they fully understand their condition and the "trial through which they have to pass". We battle and we fight, and we come out victorious because "cure is possible"-

In her statement to the press, she remembered the lack of support during  schooling and the misunderstanding of some professors.

"Of course there are notable exceptions. What matters is the positive side of the story and those people who understand," she stressed.

International Childhood Cancer Day is celebrated on February 15th, and this year's motto is "No More Pain, No More Losses".

On the same occasion, the film "The Big White House" premiered in Tuzla. In this documentary film cancer survivors, based on their own life experiences, discuss optimism, motivation, plans and dreams, now and before the illness.

The film is an autorship work of the young cancer surviors group - MladiCe, under the guidance of their mentor Zoran Ćotić. It was filmed with great enthusiasm and volunteer contribution.

"In this way, we wanted to show that we constantly need to look for new ways for young people to publicly speak about their problems. The film also shows potential ways of solving these problems."