Our wish
Taking action for children
Supporting families
Supporting research
Prochain évènement
Our history Olivia's story
Olivia was a cheerful, generous, curious, and deeply endearing little girl. She grew up in the south of France, then in the Netherlands, the country she loved. She loved her family, protected her little sister, and dreamed of becoming a flight attendant.
In May 2023, at the age of 8, her life was turned upside down. After eight weeks of uncertainty, the diagnosis came: a Diffuse Intrinsec Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
No chance of survival. Life expectancy of 9 to 12 months.
The shock is immense. And yet, Olivia never complained. As the disease progressed, she fought with heartbreaking courage, offering smiles, laughter, and moments of light every day.
After nine months of courage and resilience, Olivia died on February 29, 2024, at the age of 9.
Throughout her illness, we hoped, searched, and questioned. But no treatment existed.
Olivia is no longer here... yet she guides us every day.
In her memory, we, her parents, Larissa and Aurélien Gaillard, are creating this association:
so that this fight may become possible,
so that affected families are no longer alone,
so that research can move forward,
so that hope can exist.
Focus on diffuse intrinsec pontine glioma
What is it?
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a very aggressive malignant brain tumor located in a part of the brain stem called the pons.
Located beneath the brain, above the medulla oblongata, the pons is a deep and fragile area linked to vital functions such as balance, breathing, bladder control, heart rate, and blood pressure. This region is also traversed by nerves linked to vision, hearing, speech, swallowing, and movement.
How to treat it?
With rare exceptions, it is now considered to be incurable. The location of the tumor makes surgery impossible, and the standard treatment—radiotherapy—is not curative. Some teams combine it with other treatments, sometimes improving survival rates, but there is no evidence that one approach is superior to another.
Gustave Roussy is the only French hospital equipped with a research team specifically certified by Inserm (2020) for the DIPG study. Around fifteen researchers are working on it, within theInserm Unit U981, to understand the disease and develop future treatments.
How can our association help?
With a donation you transparently support various actions and concrete projects that are close to our hearts. Your support is key to funding pediatric research that is better adapted, more innovative, and more inclusive.
Funding for basic, translational, and clinical research projects that contribute to the development of more targeted, innovative, and safer therapies for children.
Support for children, families, and medical teams to promote access to quality care, comprehensive treatment, and appropriate clinical trials.
The promotion of research focused on pediatric specificities, which are too often neglected in comparison to adult cancers.