The ‘Médula Para Mateo’ race raises 13,000 euros for childhood cancer research

The sixth edition of the Marrow for Mateo solidarity race, held today, Saturday, September 17, in Rivas-Vaciamadrid on the occasion of World Bone Marrow Donor Day, has been a complete success, with more than 1,000 participants made aware of bone marrow donation and with a record collection of more than 13,000 euros that are entirely donated to the Mateo Project. This project is led by the doctor and researcher Antonio Pérez Martínez with the CRIS Foundation against cancer in the Advanced Therapies Unit of Hospital La Paz. The race, organized by Club Atletismo Zancadas, along with TodoEscapeRooms.com and NoizzeMedia, took place in a festive atmosphere with the presence of childhood cancer survivors, bone marrow donors and researchers. After the popular warm-up generously carried out by Elite Crossfit, the starting signal for the race has been given, which has had the sponsorship and support of El Corte Inglés, Metlife, Redpiso, DCRedit, Moonwater drinks, Radio Marca, Solán de Goats, Kibi Fruits, Rivas-Vaciamadrid City Council and the Marrow Team of the Madrid Transfusion Center. The race served to claim the need to support cancer research and raise awareness of the importance of obtaining new bone marrow donors. Little Mateo, who already received a bone marrow transplant 8 years ago, wanted to thank all the participants for his support. “I am very excited to see so many people here because the more we are, the more we support Dr. Antonio Pérez Martínez, who cured me when I was little, so that he can help, with the CRIS foundation against cancer, many more children who are in Hospital”. Collection recordThe historical collection of 13,000 euros, an absolute record in all the editions held, will serve to promote a new line of research led by Dr. Antonio Pérez Martínez with his fantastic team of researchers on the strange leukemia that little Mateo was diagnosed with just month and a half of life. JMML is a complicated leukemia with a difficult prognosis that affects one in every million children and the Mateo Project represents a hopeful new line of work with the aim of finding a therapeutic target for this childhood cancer. After awarding prizes for the 4km and 8km races, they proceeded to raffle some shirts and a ball with the signatures of the Atlético de Madrid players donated by the rojiblanca foundation and one of the most emotional moments of the event came: the delivery of the check to Dr. Antonio Pérez Martínez by the young Mateo well surrounded by other oncological survivors and a representation of the Zancadas Athletics Club, which year after year organizes this charity race altruistically and in solidarity. “We are very excited and grateful to all the participants, donors, sponsors and collaborators for always responding to the call for solidarity with the Carrera Marrow for Mateo, which is so magnificently organized every year by the Zancadas Athletics Club, without whose work this career would not be possible”, explained Eduardo Schell, father of young Mateo. “Today is a day to claim the need to support childhood cancer research, we cannot be content with the current cure rate which is around 80%. We have to ensure that all patients are cured and that all have personalized, adequate and targeted treatment. Supporting research is synonymous with the future, hope and life, and we are also convinced that new, conscious marrow donors will come out of this race, which is very important and necessary”, added Eduadro Schell.