Stand Up to Cancer, VRT 1 and Radio2 are “The Greatest Light Against Cancer”

In recent weeks, they have together called on Flanders to highlight someone who is missing or could benefit from support. During the live apotheosis on VRT 1, the group Kids with Buns performed the song “What's Going On in Your Brain” and flashed on the sea of ​​Lichtpuntjes. Thus Schorre in Boom formed “the biggest point of light against cancer”. The campaign raises €869,042. In this way, Kom op tegen Kanker can continue to prevent, control and mitigate cancer.

Currently, 337,733 people in Flanders are living with or after cancer. They received their diagnosis sometime within the last 20 years. To encourage them, Kom op tegen Kanker and the VRT invited all residents of Flanders to buy a Lichtpuntje and gift it to a loved one. Because points of light provide hope, warmth, support and comfort.

David Vanstenbrugge, Managing Director of Comm Op Tegen Kanker: “A sincere thank you to everyone who has shed light. The 'Greatest Point of Light Against Cancer' has shone like never before. Let's hold on to that warmth and show it to people with cancer and their loved ones all year round.

A total of 36,501 light points were allocated to a loved one. Some people did it alone, while others collaborated with family, friends or colleagues. With the proceeds from Lichtpuntjes tegen Kanker, Kom op tegen Kanker can continue to avoid, fight and mitigate cancer. So that fewer people get cancer and treatments and care improve further.

For the first time, visitors can enter the heart of the Great Point of Light via a walking trail. Live music from local bands and musical societies created an atmosphere in and next to Lichtpunt.

Engaging stories on VRT 1 and Radio2
This entire week, VRT 1 broadcasts the program “Bright Spots Against Cancer” live. The Siska Schoeters band welcomed a number of guests into the studio every evening and listened to their moving and beautiful stories.

She passed Mart, among others: She was in college when she got cancer. She wanted to graduate with her peers so she continued studying, but she became fatally ill during chemotherapy. She bravely testified to Cesca about how illness can have a long-term impact on your mental health.

Mattis came on Tuesday. You can actually follow Mathis' story in “Children's Hospital 24/7.” Most recently, on January 29, he was declared cancer-free. In Bright Spots Against Cancer, Mathis surprised his two favorite nurses from the day hospital at UT Leuven with home-baked cakes. Bright Spots Against Cancer also focused on families of people with cancer. Clara and Victor – Felix's older brother and sister, who is suffering from a brain tumor – are surprised by Tom Weiss and Nonna Jolly. They took Clara and Victor out of class to clear their heads and gave them the day of their lives on a helicopter.

On Wednesday, Valentine's Day, Spotlight Against Cancer was all about dating after cancer. This is not always easy: after treatment you often lose your self-confidence or develop scars. In the studio, twenty-year-old Eileen testified about her journey. She was diagnosed three years ago, and due to her young age, she has not yet had the opportunity to meet anyone. She tried dating, but noticed that her diagnosis frightened a lot of people out of their ignorance. Jeanty Perront of Portland, who has brain cancer, came to talk about how he views the past few months. He gave himself a goal: to perform again. Ginty believes that purpose has really helped him through his journey.

Margot Bogart welcomed several guests every day between 9am and 12pm on Radio 2's Bright Spots Against Cancer. They would often share moving and always heart-warming stories about cancer and dedicate a Spotlight to someone dear to them:

Mathias Sirko has spoken of how his terminally ill son, Toure, miraculously managed to get better five times over after receiving the message that it would not last long. “It's really a war of attrition. Every time you're left with some sort of mental preparation for the worst, and then you're still able to narrowly escape it.”

Laura Verhulst, better known as Madam Baxter, shared a sweet story about her late husband Kobe on Valentine's Day. On their last Valentine's Day together, she felt very lonely because he was so sick, so he asked their friends to send her Valentine's Day letters: “I have a pile of love letters from all my friends and I think I'll read 'em to them again today.” She celebrated this Valentine's Day with their almost seven-month-old daughter, Aster.

On Thursday, Pomilian Theis surprised her mother, Anne van den Broek, with a #LikeMe tagline. Pomilian said: “I really enjoyed being at Sportpaleis with Anne. It was so inspiring to see her, literally, coming out of the roof of Sportpaleis. “For me, it was a beautiful ending, a Beyoncé moment at Sportpaleis! My character's story in #LikeMe has become very intertwined with my private life. “It was nice to be able to close this chapter in this way,” Anne said emotionally.

And then there was this very poignant story from meteorologist Bram Verbruggen. He told me about his dear friend Elke. During her pregnancy, it was found that she had a brain tumor. “The doctors' message to Elke was: 'We're going to keep you alive until the baby is viable,'” Bram told Margo. “That's all we can do, so we'll let you go.”