At 9 years old, Guillen was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a rare form of cancer of the lymphatic system that predominantly affects young people. In addition to how devastating the news was for the whole family, the child could not attend class, so I would lose the school year, although it was that the parents were less worried about the possibility that they also lost their lives.
But Javier Mur, Guillen's professor, told them that he would not lose either one or the other. He devised a project with which his 22 classmates would teach Guillen so he wouldn't miss the course. It turned out to be a success: the boy passed the course, the project was awarded by the Ministry of Education, and most importantly, Guillen was cured.
One more in the classroom
The boy had been suffering from severe stomach pains so he was taken to the doctor and the diagnosis was the worst. He was diagnosed with lymphoma in July 2014Then came six sessions of chemotherapy, days in isolation and a great physical deterioration. Although they were told that there was an 80 percent chance of survival, their parents only thought of the other 20 percent.
Guillen should have started his fourth grade in September, but the parents explained at school that they could not do it because of the illness they had detected.
Upon learning, Javier, the teacher, spoke with the rest of the teachers of the Minte de Monzón School (Huesca) attended by the child:
"When I learned that I had cancer, I was talking to the cloister. I told my classmates that we had to do something to make the child feel one more in the classroom. I searched and searched and did not see any methodology for these situations."
"It had to be something motivating, that involved everyone. And to keep the sick child hooked. So we decided that the children would be Guillen's teachers. That they would be pending to teach and correct him. To do it together. And it worked... The key is that, as much as I want, I can't empathize with a child like they do. "
Coordinated by the teacher, four working groups were created among which the subjects were distributed (Language, Mathematics, English and Knowledge of the Environment). The children created didactic material, exercises for Guillén to practice, cards and even a blog where they exchanged videos and texts ... Every 15 days he received new material.
An example to follow
On the one hand, the 22 children had to strengthen knowledge to teach them to Guillén, and in turn, Guillén remained entertained during his treatment, getting the course forward. A formula in which everyone benefited. A lesson that everyone learns from. A wonderful story
Guillen's mother has said the right words:
"With such a situation, another teacher would not have devised this," says his mother. "This can only happen to a lover of his profession like Javier. The children are plasticine. If they fall into the hands of someone worthwhile they can change the world."
In Spain, 1,400 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed every year. Families whose daily life falls apart to devote themselves exclusively to the treatment of the disease. More Guillen projects would give a lot of encouragement to children undergoing cancer treatment.
