Superheroes drop in on children with cancer at major hospital in the south of Spain

The seventh floor of the Materno-Infantil hospital in Granada was a hive of activity on Thursday 13 February. The young patients in the oncology unit were very excited as some of their favourite superheroes were about to arrive to pass on some of their 'super strength'. The event was part of International Childhood Cancer Day which is 15 February.

Adrian waited in his room, excited to meet his heroes. "I'm very happy, very happy to be here. Well, not to be here, but to experience this," he explained. Suddenly, a red cape appeared on the other side of the window. "This is Spider-Man!" exclaimed an oncologist. "But how can it be Spider-Man with a cape? It's Superman!" clarified Adrian, who knows his superheroes. Spiderman is his favourite. "He's really cool, he does tss tss!" Adrian said, waving his hands and demonstrating how Spider-Man makes webs.

Last June, Adrian developed a lump on his lower back. "He does athletics and pole vaults. He falls a lot, so we thought it might be a cyst," explained his mother, Isabel. However, he was diagnosed with a rare form of Edwing's sarcoma. He had just turned 14. He went from being a sporty kid to being given morphine and fentanyl at the same time because "there was no way to control that pain". On 8 January this year he had surgery and the tumours were removed. He had lung metastases. He is waiting to undergo revision chemotherapy and will be in hospital until Sunday.

Superman kept beckoning him through the window. He and ten other superheroes were abseiling down the façade of the Materno hospital to surprise the children with cancer. "Health is not just physical, it has many spheres. Emotionally, this is a shot of energy. The coping with the disease is much better. They are not fully aware of it, but it is perfect entertainment," said the deputy director of nursing, María Teresa Rivas.

Leaning on his crutches and wearing his Mojinos Escozíos T-shirt, one of his favourite bands, Adrián was smiling non-stop. He was wearing a mask, but you could see it in his eyes. He was enjoying himself. The image was really special. The chemo bag was almost unnoticed. With a purple sticker on it, it said: "Let's conquer this castle". The hospital is already his second home. "I have met a lot of new people and the nurses are my friends too. They are very nice people and help me a lot," he said.

But not all superheroes wear capes and fly. Two of them specifically sought out four-year-old Antonio Francisco's room to surprise him. "Hulk!" he shouted excitedly. It's his favourite, no doubt. He had even put on his Hulk socks for the occasion, although he didn't think twice about sitting on Spiderman's lap either. "V for victory! Strength for the little guy!" Spider-Man said as Antonio Francisco held up his index and middle fingers.

"All the superheroes have come to cheer us up. These kids are an example of true strength, they are the superheroes. Despite the situations they go through, they have the strength to be able to smile and make you think that you can be a superhero too. That's the nice thing, to have a good time in difficult situations and that they transmit their energy to you," said Bruce Banner himself, who gave Antonio Francisco a Hulk key ring. And then Batman appeared, who said that the superheroes visit the children to show that, "when they have moments of weakness, as we all have, they feel that strength".

The oncology ward of the Materno-Infantil hospital in Granada deals with an average of thirty cases each year. "We are not a very large unit and we can give a much more personalised treatment, we're a very close-knit team and have a very close relationship with the families," said paediatrician and oncologist Emilia Urrutia. Relationships that are strengthened especially with Childhood Cancer Day and the superheroes' visit. As much as children with cancer may not always understand what they are going through, it never hurts to have an extra dose of 'super strength'.