EuropaColon Latvia Strengthens Its Impact with DiCE Support
With the support of grants from Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE), the Colorectal Cancer Patient Association in Latvia, EuropaColon Latvija, has renewed its efforts to raise awareness and support those affected by colorectal cancer.
Over the past year, we have developed informative materials about our association, mission, and activities. These resources help increase visibility, promote awareness of colorectal cancer prevention, and guide patients towards appropriate support services.
We launched the campaign “Warm a Heart” at the end of last year, inviting the public to donate handmade gloves and socks for chemotherapy patients. Winters in Latvia can be severe, and one common side effect of chemotherapy is heightened sensitivity to cold. By offering these items, we aimed to provide physical warmth and emotional support. We distributed the donated items to all chemotherapy patients at the Latvian Oncology Centre during the holiday season. We aspire to make “Warm a Heart” a Christmas tradition, expanding it to more hospitals nationwide.
This year, we introduced a new initiative to promote digestive health and colorectal cancer prevention: community walks across different Riga neighbourhoods. These events encourage physical activity, facilitate open conversations, and create a relaxed, supportive environment for participants. As part of these activities, we are promoting the DiCE StepApp, motivating people to increase their daily movement while tracking their progress and supporting digestive health. We are partnering with local neighbourhood associations, whose representatives guide the walks and share the stories and values of their communities. The initiative began with the World Cancer Walk in January, with seven more walks planned for this spring. Participation so far has been strong, with enthusiastic feedback from the community.
We remain deeply grateful to Digestive Cancers Europe for your continued support. Your partnership enables us to deliver these initiatives and seek new ways to serve our community.
Author:
