”We had ‘angel-people’ helping us in the worst of times, and that will never be forgotten.” —Silvia Barrieras, Leire Barriera’s mother
Leire and her parents, Silvia and David, moved into a temporary apartment provided by the Villavecchia Foundation and participated in our program of activities. Additionally, they have supported us with fundraising. Learn about their story.
“Leire came into our lives on August 15th of 2018, filling both of us with love and happiness. It was, has been, and will be the best thing that has ever happened in our lives,” Silvia Barriereas, mother of Leire Barrieras, tells us. “She was the best, always with that eternal smile, she loved riding her bike, enjoyed jumping in puddles with her rain boots, and clumsily sent kisses to the firefighters passing by when playing at the park… She was empathetic. In her daycare there was a little girl who cried almost every morning and always dropped her sucker. Leire would give it back to her, the girl would drop it again, and Leire would return it again…She was a happy girl.”
Leire in Hospital Vall d’Hebron
When Leire was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma, her parents felt the world fall on them, as treatment was extremely difficult: “to see her shut in and surrounded by strangers that hurt her with injections or PCR, and the tube they put in her with water that made her feel worse, losing her hair and not being able to give her quiquis, not being at home, not being able to go to kindergarten…” In the words of Silvia, “If you haven’t lived in a situation of the same magnitude, as much I can try to explain, you have no idea. As much as they tell me ‘I understand, I know, I can imagine…” It’s not true. It is the worst situation you can be in.”
With time, some of these “strangers” surrounding Leire in Hospital Vall d’Hebron came to hold a space in her heart. Silvia tells us, “she let them know through hugs, sending air kisses, showing them her drawings on her tablet, giving them her favorite stuffed toys (her cow and Bing), she’d sing to them, show them her Legos, and laugh with them.”
Leire with her parents, David and Silvia
In the first week of hospitalization, the family received a visit from Andrea Carmona, social worker from the Villavecchia Foundation: “Andrea explained to us that, for families who lived far, there was an opportunity for a temporary apartment. We were looking for an apartment, hotel, whatever, since both of us were not allowed to stay in the hospital, only one. Suddenly, in this terrible situation, someone appears with the keys to what will be ‘your apartment’ while you need it, five minutes from Hospital Vall d’Hebron, which meant less early groggy mornings for Leire among other benefits. Being able to stop worrying about searching, renting, paying… We were able to stay the necessary time, there was no pushback. Rosa would come every week for the apartment’s maintenance and Magi would help us when none of us were home.” Silvia also explained to us how, in the time of Covid, it was a positive experience not having to share an apartment, since Leire could play and move with total liberty. “It was the best when her grandparents would show up on a Sunday, then she was the happiest in the world.”
Once pandemic restrictions allowed her to, Arantxa de Lara, responsible for the Área de Voluntariado (Volunteering) from the Foundation, visited her family. “Arantxa offered Leire the possibility of a volunteer coming to her apartment and playing with her, apart from participating in activities. With the volunteer in hand, we were able to visit the Firefighter park in Monjuïc, and Leire loved to climb onto the chief’s truck, boarding a firefighter truck and shooting water with its hose…” They also had the opportunity to visit CaixaForum, where Leire enjoyed observing the fish, experimenting and running around the enclosure.
Leire’s family were able to visit CosmoCaixa in Barcelona
”It’s stupendous, truly, to meet people that, without needing to, help you. A special mention for all the volunteer team that chooses to try to make the children happier during their current situation. You feel held, accompanied, and supported in moments where you are alone. Like we say, we had angel-people helping us in the worst of times, and that will never be forgotten.”
In May of 2022 we celebrated the Perimetrail of Arguis-Nueno (Hesca), a race organized by our friends who have had family members with cancer. Leire’s family got in contact with them and together decided to donate the funds of the dorsales. Thanks to them, they made a donation of 400 euros to the Villavecchia Foundation. After this experience, they decided to create a solidarity challenge that closed on August 15th, the day that Leire would have turned 4 years old, and were able to raise and donate almost 9.000 euros to further the research of neuroblastoma in the Hospital Vall d’Hebron. “We are now thinking of what will be the next step, as we will not stop fighting against this illness, in order to stop more families to have to go through this nightmare,” Silvia tells us, and adds: “It is super important to raise awareness, now that, unfortunately, there are still people who turn away from this reality of child cancer and, people, it exists! And while you least expect it, it enters your house without warning.”
Thank you, family Barrieras, for your valuable testimony that will surely inspire other families.