Irene Paredes Surprises Aina, a Young Cancer Patient, at Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona

Irene Paredes made a surprise visit this week to Aina, a 12-year-old girl hospitalized at Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona and supported by the Enriqueta Villavecchia Pediatric Oncology Foundation. Aina is an avid Culé supporter, especially of the women’s first team and its players.

This visit coincides with the celebration of the International Day against Childhood Cancer on February 15. It is part of the FC Barcelona Foundation’s “Il·lusions” project, which organizes, throughout the year, encounters between Club’s professional athletes and children from Catalonia and around the world facing severe illnesses like cancer. These encounters bring joy and a clear improvement in the mood of these children during such a challenging time in their lives, as many of them undergo tough treatments to combat the disease.

Aina experienced a shift in her mood with Irene Paredes’ unexpected visit, as her parents explained, “Before Irene arrived, she was very sad and in pain, and as soon as she entered, she forgot everything and smiled again. It was a burst of joy; we are very happy and grateful.”

The Barcelona defender also lived a profoundly intense moment. She quickly established a bond of camaraderie with Aina and gifted her a jersey with her name signed by all the team players, along with trays of sushi, Aina’s favorite food.

Dedication from Salma

During the meeting, Irene and Aina agreed that the women’s team would dedicate a goal to her in the Wednesday’s Liga F match at Johan Cruyff Stadium against Levante. True to their word, when Barcelona forward Salma Paralluelo scored in the 21st minute, she made the letter ‘A’ sign with her hands in honor of Aina.

International Day against Childhood Cancer

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 400,000 children worldwide suffer from some form of cancer each year. The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemia, brain cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumors like neuroblastoma and Wilms tumors. In Spain, over 1,500 cases of childhood cancer are detected each year.

In recent decades, advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic diseases in childhood have significantly improved survival rates, as noted by the Enriqueta Villavecchia Foundation.

Paredes: “I think today we made her happy”

“I am very happy to have met Aina and made this surprise visit. I hope she can recover from her illness soon. I believe that today we made her happy, and for a while, she and her family forgot about the difficult situation they are going through. Just for that, it was already worth organizing this meeting. The whole team sends her a hug and wishes her a quick recovery.”

“Being able to see the happiness on Aina’s face and her family is priceless. Sometimes we don’t realize the strength we can give to these children with actions like the ones we, players, take with the Barça Foundation.”

Segú: “These actions help improve emotional well-being”

“The Fundació FC Barcelona has been collaborating with hospitals and entities for years to bring the magic of Barça to children suffering from serious illnesses like cancer. Actions like the one we did today with Irene, a player from our women’s first football team, succeed in improving the emotional well-being of sick children, in very complicated moments for them and their families.”

“Today, we want to give hope to all families with a child suffering from cancer and strength to all the people and professionals who care for these children affected by this disease, as well as to those who research to find effective cancer treatments.”