Roche Walks for Children Celebrates 12th Year, Reuniting Hope in the Cloud for Critically Ill Children

SHANGHAI, June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Roche Pharmaceuticals has once again partnered with the Aiyou Charity Foundation to jointly launch the "2021 Roche Children's Charity Walk" and provide a matching donation of 1 million RMB, bringing hope and love to eligible children from disadvantaged families suffering from critical illnesses across China. This also marks the 12th year that Roche has been conducting this charitable initiative in China.

“Roche Children's Charity Walk” is a corporate social responsibility initiative launched globally by Roche. Held simultaneously across Roche’s global sites every June, it provides assistance to disadvantaged children through charity walks and donations. Last year, due to the pandemic, the “Roche Children's Charity Walk” in China was held for the first time as a “Virtual Charity Walk.” Via the Tencent Charity platform, an online step-donation campaign was launched to the public, enabling compassion to transcend the boundaries of time and space, with over 60,000 caring individuals participating.

This year, the event will continue as an online charity step-donation campaign. For every 1,000 steps donated by caring individuals, Roche will make a matching donation of 1 RMB until the matching donation target of 1 million RMB is reached. All donated funds will be allocated to the "Roche Children's Charity Walk Special Program" under the Beyond Charity Foundation, providing medical assistance and humanistic care to eligible children from disadvantaged families with critical illnesses across China, and offering them dual support for both their physical and mental well-being.

Responding to the National Call: Providing Comprehensive Physical and Psychological Care for Children with Critical Illnesses in Financial Hardship

Children's health is the cornerstone of public health; however, major diseases such as pediatric congenital heart disease, hematological disorders, and malignant tumors pose severe challenges to affected children and their families. These conditions typically involve complex treatment protocols, prolonged therapeutic courses, and impose heavy financial burdens on families. As medical insurance coverage alone is insufficient to cover all associated costs, many economically disadvantaged families are often left with no choice but to reluctantly forgo treatment. Furthermore, throughout the clinical care process, both pediatric patients and their caregivers are highly susceptible to negative emotions and substantial psychological distress, which can adversely impact long-term treatment adherence and rehabilitation outcomes.

In recent years, the Chinese government has attached great importance to major pediatric diseases, continuously expanding the scope of conditions covered under relevant treatment and management programs. To actively respond to this national call and to help more children in urgent need of assistance, the "Roche Children's Charity Walk" continues to move forward in 2021.

Through collaboration with the Aiyou Charity Foundation, the project will cover multiple medical institutions in China that treat pediatric patients with major diseases, providing medical assistance to eligible pediatric patients. Furthermore, to address the emotional and psychological burdens experienced by the children and their parents, this project emphasizes humanistic healthcare and will prepare thousands of "Love Hospitalization Kits" for targeted distribution to hospitalized pediatric patients. The "Love Hospitalization Kits" include a hospitalization adventure game map, a parent care notebook, drawing paper and pens, face masks, and other small props to facilitate children's hospital adaptation, along with thoughtful gifts to support families during hospitalization. These are intended to alleviate children's fear of inpatient treatment and provide them with comprehensive physical and psychological care and support.

Twelve Years of Unwavering Commitment: Supporting Pediatric Patients and Their Families“Walk”Break out of the predicament

"Roche Children's Charity Walk" has been "walking" across China for twelve years, helping thousands of children and their families regain confidence in life, and even hope for survival. Throughout 2020, the "Roche Children's Charity Walk Special Program" assisted 41 pediatric patients from financially disadvantaged families across 17 provinces and autonomous regions, covering more than ten critical illnesses. Among them, the oldest patient was 17 years old, while the youngest was under one year of age.

Xiao Ke (pseudonym), who is nearly five years old this year, is one such case. Her childhood was cast in shadow by osteosarcoma. At a young age, she underwent multiple cycles of chemotherapy and surgery, leaving her bedridden and unable to walk for extended periods. The exorbitant treatment costs also placed an unbearable financial burden on her struggling family. At this critical juncture, the "Roche Children's Charity Walk Special Program" extended a helping hand to Xiao Ke's family, giving them the strength to persevere. Facing a similar plight is little Xi Xi (pseudonym) from Yueyang, Hunan. The news of her pleuropulmonary blastoma recurrence struck her and her family like a bolt from the blue. Although a tailored treatment regimen could maximize the preservation of her lung, the associated costs left her parents deeply worried. At just the right moment, the "Roche Children's Charity Walk Special Program" provided tangible assistance that helped Xi Xi's family navigate out of their financial crisis.

The stories of Xiao Ke and Xi Xi are a microcosm of the thousands of pediatric patients who have received assistance, and a testament to the unwavering commitment upheld over the twelve years of the "Roche Children's Charity Walk." Upholding the development philosophy of "Rooted in China, Benefiting China," Roche continuously introduces innovative medicines to China while focusing on corporate social responsibility, actively supporting public welfare initiatives and giving back to society.

Since the “Roche Children's Charity Walk” “stepped into” China in 2010, it has cumulatively raised over 6 million RMB in charitable funds and provided assistance to more than 1,600 children. Ms. Zhou Hong, President of Roche Pharmaceuticals China, stated: “It is a pleasure to witness the ‘twelfth anniversary’ of the ‘Roche Children's Charity Walk’. This milestone reflects the dedication and steadfast commitment of Roche professionals to corporate social responsibility. Thank you to everyone who has participated in and supported the ‘Roche Children's Charity Walk’. As the initiative continues to expand, we are joined by a growing number of ‘partners in philanthropy’. This collective compassion and strength will help more children with critical illnesses ‘walk’ out of adversity and embrace hope.”

“Aiyou has been deeply engaged in the pediatric healthcare sector for many years, committed to systematically addressing the primary challenges faced by children with critical illnesses in China,” stated Ms. Sun Wei, Executive Secretary-General of the Aiyou Charity Foundation. “This marks the second year of our partnership with Roche. We hope that through more seamless and in-depth collaboration, along with more innovative and diversified assistance models, we can provide tangible support to children with critical illnesses and their families, and offer these children a promising future.”