The association Mi Compañero de Viaje continues to strengthen its support for research into childhood and adolescent cancer with a new donation of €15,088 to the Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). Since the collaboration began in 2015, the organisation has provided sustained funding for research projects aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric sarcomas.

Mi Compañero de Viaje was founded following the personal experience of its founders, who went through an oncological process at a young age. With the aim of offering emotional support to other children and young people with cancer, and of raising awareness in society about the disease, the association promotes a range of solidarity initiatives throughout the year to raise funds for research.

In 2025, the organisation launched new fundraising initiatives, including a collaboration with the footwear retailer Casas to sell solidarity socks in all its stores. In addition, on 22 November, Mi Compañero de Viaje held a charity dinner to mark the association’s tenth anniversary, bringing together members of the organisation, collaborators and VHIR researchers. During the event, the main scientific advances achieved thanks to the association’s support over the past decade were shared, and charity raffles were held to help continue driving research forward.

“At Mi Compañero de Viaje, we firmly believe in the power of research to transform the lives of children and young people facing paediatric sarcoma. That is why we support the VHIR: because we want to bring hope and stand alongside everyone going through this very tough disease. Mireia taught us never to give up, and that spirit continues to guide us. Every step we take is for her and for all those who will come after”, says Andrea Martí, President and Co-founder of Mi Compañero de Viaje.

Supporting rhabdomyosarcoma research

This year’s donation will continue to support the project led by Dr. Josep Roma, Principal Investigator of the Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders group at the VHIR. The team is working on the preclinical development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, a highly aggressive type of childhood tumour, with the aim of improving survival rates and patients’ quality of life.

Over recent years, the group has identified new molecular targets and established collaborations with the biotechnology sector to move forward in the development of more specific and effective therapies. Several highly innovative drugs developed in the laboratory have already demonstrated their effectiveness in preclinical models.

“The support from Mi Compañero de Viaje has been essential in driving the project forward and bringing us even closer to patients, by enabling the development of new targeted therapies focused on targets and drugs developed in our laboratory. These therapies are highly specific to paediatric sarcomas and show very strong antitumour activity”, explains Dr. Josep Roma.