During a festive gathering at De Hallen, Her Majesty Queen Máxima was the guest of honour. Two children from the Princess Máxima Center showed her the drawings of their superheroes. Saar (10) created Super Fluf, a flying heroine with laser eyes, and Hakeem drew Super Teddy, a bear with superpowers to help make childhood cancer a thing of the past. These, along with eight other superheroes drawn by children with cancer from Indonesia, Suriname, Kenya and Armenia, are part of the ‘Heroes’ exhibition. Professional illustrators transformed these children’s drawings into life-sized movie posters.
Orange globe
Saar and Hakeem rolled a large orange globe onto the stage, where Her Majesty Queen Máxima signed her name. Together with the children, she rolled the globe towards the exhibition doors, which officially opened as they arrived. To great applause from those present, Queen Máxima was the first to visit the exhibition ‘Heroes. Towards a world without childhood cancer’.
Superheroes
The exhibition features ten life-sized banners in the Passage of De Hallen with superhero drawings and posters, as well as information panels about the Superheroes Project®. In the adjacent Gallery, visitors can view ten additional panels on childhood cancer worldwide, an interactive section, and a short film. For children, there is also a Superhero Treasure Hunt with stickers and cards. The exhibition is open to the public until 16 November.
International collaboration
The Superheroes Exhibition also highlights the 80/20 paradox in global childhood cancer survival rates. In low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of children with cancer live, only 20% survive. In high-income countries, these numbers are reversed. Despite this inequality, the Máxima International department and professionals in pediatric oncology worldwide are working together to improve survival rates and reduce disparities.
Global congress
From 20 to 23 October, more than 3,500 professionals in pediatric oncology will gather at the RAI in Amsterdam for the SIOP World Congress to share the latest insights. International collaboration and knowledge exchange are essential, as every form of childhood cancer is rare. The Princess Máxima Center is hosting this world congress, which is why the ‘Heroes’ exhibition coincides with the event.
The Princess Máxima Center Foundation organized the official opening on 15 October and emphasizes that their work for the Princess Máxima Center and the Máxima International department would not be possible without the support of donors, both large and small.