"Raising awareness about paediatric palliative care (PPC) today means trying to help people overcome fears, prejudices and misinformation." This is the starting point for the reflection of Elena Castelli, Secretary General of Fondazione Maruzza ETS, who emphasises how too often PPC is associated exclusively with end of life, without any real understanding of what it means. In reality, she explains, it is a holistic care pathway that accompanies children and young people with incurable illnesses and their families, sometimes for many years, improving their quality of life on a clinical, psychological and relational level.

What paediatric palliative care is

One of the most important messages to spread is that "incurable does not mean untreatable". PPC cares for the whole person, guaranteeing dignity, attentiveness and daily support. Moreover, it is a right: "Every child must be able to access appropriate care, multidisciplinary support and a competent, humane network."

It is against this backdrop that the Giro d'Italia delle cure palliative pediatriche was created, designed to bring the issue closer to people through meetings, events and activities organised across Italy. Its fifth edition launched on 14 May 2026: dedicated to the "Caring Community", it focused on the value of collective responsibility in care — alongside healthcare teams, what is needed are families, schools, volunteers, associations, institutions and citizens capable of building support networks around the most vulnerable children.

The tour has stopped at various stages throughout Italy and includes cycling rides as well as public events and conferences on the subject. One such event was "Educating towards care, caring within the community. Clinical, educational and social knowledge in paediatric palliative care", held on 9 June at Casa Vidas, with the Caring Community as its central theme.