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Érintettek – Parents’ Association for Children Affected by Childhood Cancer
As our name suggests, the founders of our Association are mainly parents of children who have been treated for childhood cancer or leukemia. Our president is Dr. Erika Borszekiné Cserháti, joined by two vice presidents, Anita Keresztes and Dr. Péter Hauser. Erika and Anita are both mothers of three, each having a child who has faced childhood cancer, while Péter Hauser is a pediatric oncologist.
Our community brings together parents, survivors, doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, and other dedicated individuals. What unites us all is that we do this work entirely on a volunteer basis, alongside our regular jobs, driven purely by care and compassion.
The Association was born out of a simple but powerful desire – to give back some of the support we once received during our own journeys through treatment. We couldn’t just stand by after witnessing the challenges families face and realizing how much could be improved with just a little more attention, energy, and love.
In 2016, we came together and formed the Érintettek Association. There’s really no perfect English translation for Érintettek – it roughly means “those who are affected” or “those who are touched.”
We like to say we are enthusiastic amateurs. This isn’t our profession, but it’s our calling. And while we’re not full-time professionals, we ensure that all our programs and activities are fully aligned with medical and professional standards — with medical authenticity guaranteed by Dr. Péter Hauser.
As the saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining.” For us, the friendships we’ve formed through this journey are exactly that — the silver lining of the hardships we’ve faced. We’re proud and grateful to be a community that always has each other’s back.
How We Support Families During Treatment
Our programs that bring comfort, information, and hope to children and parents through the most challenging times.
Storybook: Easing Fear Through Familiar Stories
Our first major program was a storybook for children called ‘Bravery Test’, later translated into English and Ukrainian. It tells the story of four brave children on their path to healing, each facing a different illness. The illustrations are based on the largest Onco-Hematology Centre of the country, and they are realistic and recognizable, so that young readers can identify their hospital environment. This little book helps ease the fear of the unknown – not only for children but for parents too.
Érintettek’s Book: Reliable Information for Parents
Our second major project was the Érintettek’s Book, an information guide created for families of children with cancer. When we first faced the disease, we were terrified and overwhelmed by the unreliable information on the internet. This book was our answer to that.
Every word was reviewed, approved, or written by the medical professionals we trust. It’s both authentic and personal, as many parents also contributed their experiences. Written in clear, accessible language, it helps families understand what’s happening without needing to wait for answers or interpret medical jargon.
Over 30 families shared comments, practical tips, and advice in each chapter. The book covers the most common childhood cancers, symptoms, treatments, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, psychological and social topics, and everyday life issues like hygiene, pets, and schooling.
Érintettek’s Chain Program: Beads of Courage
Inspired by the international Beads of Courage movement, the Érintettek’s Chain Program runs in every pediatric oncology center in Hungary. Each child receives a starter kit with a thread and a small “healing elf.” For every step of their therapy, they add a new bead — a beautiful and symbolic way to mark their courage and progress throughout treatment.
Today, when a child is diagnosed with cancer in Hungary, they receive the Érintettek Info Pack – completely free of charge. It contains our Storybook (Bravery Test), the Érintettek Book, and the Chain of Courage kit. From the very first days of treatment, children and parents can feel that they are not alone — that there is a hand to hold and a community to lean on.
Érintettek Award: Honoring Our Healers
Founded in 2016, the Érintettek Award expresses our deepest gratitude toward the professionals who dedicate their lives to healing. Each year, we recognize one doctor and one healthcare worker — such as a nurse, psychologist, or physiotherapist — for their extraordinary kindness, attention, and humanity. The award includes a small financial recognition.
Every Advent season, we celebrate with an award ceremony where children perform for their healers – singing, dancing, playing instruments, and sharing heartfelt messages in videos. It is one of our most emotional traditions, filled with joy, gratitude, and the shared spirit of healing.
Healing Conversations Podcast: Building Trust Through Stories
Healing Conversations is our podcast series, a long-held dream come true. Three professional reporters interview doctors, nurses, and psychologists, giving parents a chance to get to know the people who care for their children.
We believe trust is one of the most important elements of healing. In each episode, healers share their personal stories — about their families, hobbies, why they chose this work, and how they recover from its challenges. We also speak with survivors and parents, whose honest reflections help others overcome fear and doubt.
The series also explores scientific topics and innovations in childhood cancer treatment, filling a real gap in communication. All episodes are available on our website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page.
Excursions: Finding Strength in Togetherness
Our Érintettek Excursions are among our most beloved programs. We organize them once or twice a year as family outings where everyone – children, parents, and siblings – can spend time together outside the hospital environment.
These trips have two main goals: First, to offer a relaxed, joyful day full of connection, laughter, and nature. And second, to encourage families who are still in treatment to meet those whose children have recovered — to see with their own eyes that there is hope, there is future, and healing is possible.
We spend these days walking, talking, playing, and sharing meals – simply enjoying being together.
Érintettek Help Line: Compassionate Listening in Crisis
The Érintettek Help Line offers professional support for families in need. Created by two of our wonderful colleagues — Szilvia and Bogi, both Lutheran pastors and mental health professionals — it provides a safe, compassionate space for anyone affected.
Parents, relatives, and friends can call to share feelings, seek advice, or find comfort in moments of crisis. The goal is simple but powerful: to remind every caller that they are not alone.
Érintettek Blood Donation Days: Giving Back Together
Our Blood Donation Days began as a simple idea and quickly grew into a beloved community event. Blood donation is vital in the healing process, and we consider every first-time donor a success story.
These days are more than medical — they are social gatherings where families, friends, and volunteers come together to give, connect, and celebrate life. There’s always laughter, good food, and the shared joy of knowing that together, we make a difference.
How We Support Families After Treatment
Our goal is to ensure thatthe path to recovery is truly complete – with safety, new momentum, and joyful experiences.
Survivorship and Long-Term Follow-Up
One of our most recent initiatives is the creation of a dedicated section on our website focused on survivorship and long-term follow-up care — the first of its kind in Hungary. Our goal was to bring together everything that comes after active treatment, in one accessible and welcoming space.
We wanted to create a resource that is not too medical or professional, but also not too emotional or overwhelming for those who are currently going through, or have already gone through, cancer treatment. Although the content was developed with professional input, it is designed for parents, survivors, and anyone interested in learning more about life after treatment.
In this section, visitors can find:
- Encouraging messages from us,
- Clear descriptions of the most common late effects and their possible causes,
- Opportunities to connect with other survivors,
- News and articles about important events and organisations in the field of follow-up care,
- Comforting and inspiring stories shared by survivors, and
- Detailed guidelines prepared for general practitioners, helping them support adult patients who were treated for childhood cancers (for example: “I had neuroblastoma when I was 2 — what should I have checked regularly?”).
To launch this initiative, we also organised a mini-conference featuring some of Hungary’s most respected doctors and healthcare professionals. They gave presentations on key survivorship topics, and these talks are now available to watch on our website.
Survivor Events: Reclaiming Life Together
We understand that the cancer journey doesn’t end when treatments finish. Recovery is not just about physical healing — it’s about reconnecting with life, with joy, and with a sense of normalcy.
That’s why we organize events for survivors – occasions to meet, have fun, share experiences, and remind each other that they are not alone. These gatherings create space for laughter, conversation, and even learning something new together.
International Connections
Staying connected with the international childhood cancer community is very important to us. We regularly attend conferences across Europe and around the world. These events help us keep up with the latest research, recommendations, and guidelines on childhood cancer and long-term follow-up care.
We are proud members of two major international organisations:
- Childhood Cancer International (CCI) – the official European organisation that connects healthcare professionals, survivors, and families affected by childhood cancer.
- PanCare – a pan-European collaboration among doctors, researchers, and survivors, dedicated to improving the quality of life of those who have recovered from childhood cancer.
In recent years, we have also taken part in EU-funded international projects, such as E-QuoL, which aims to provide children, adolescents, and young adults who have survived cancer with e-health tools designed specifically for and with them to help them manage their health.
As part of our commitment to accessible and reliable information, we have translated PanCare’s Plain Language Guidelines into Hungarian, ensuring that families, survivors, and healthcare professionals in Hungary can benefit from the most up-to-date international knowledge regarding LTFU (long-term follow-up) – in clear, understandable language