CHACUN SON EVEREST - THE MISSION: Since 1994, A Chacun son Everest! has helped children with cancer or leukemia and, since 2011, women in remission from breast cancer to heal better, thanks to them achieving their own "Everest".
The goal is to help woman and children in this difficult phase post-cancer, by allowing them to regain their confidence, to reconcile with their bodies, to share their experiences with others in the same position, to find a new lust for life, and look forward to a brighter future.
Each year, approximately 14 weeks of courses for children plus 14 weeks for women are held in Chamonix. Stays are fully supported by the charity.
In France, 2000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer or leukemia every year. Today, 75 to 80% of them recover, but all too often, even when cured, those who have been affected continue to live with the status of being sick. This feeling of being different, maybe struggling to reintegrate back into society, is considerend a barrier to full recovery.
A Chacun son Everest! uses the symbolic parallel between the difficulty of the ascent of reaching a summit and the road to recovery. The ascent of Everest requires patience and determination, courage and commitment; it is precisely these qualities that 'A Chacun son Everest' encourages woman and children to express. The disease often leads to loss of confidence in their physical abilities, but the charity allows those in their care to prove that they still have a lot to live for and can achieve great things.
Courses are designed for those in remission , those having ongoing treatment and also those considered to be cured. Programmes are adapted to each group according to age, season (hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, dog sledding), and the stage of the disease. For women, this may be the first time they have been swimming since surgery, and possibly the first time they have had time away from their families during their illness. This time to think and regroup is such an important part of recovery from an illness, but one that is so often overlooked.