The month of July 2024 was a memorable one for the TEDDY Network and for the Kids groups that it supports. 90 young people and patients from 15 countries across 4 continents attended the iCAN 2024 Research and Advocacy Summit in Bari, Italy. The summit was organized by the International Children’s Advisory Network (iCAN) in collaboration with the TEDDY Network. 100 family members and chapter leaders accompanied the kids from the 15th to the 19th of July 2024. It was the biggest and most memorable one yet, making it befitting for the iCAN summit’s 10th Anniversary!
KIDS Bari designed the summit logo (our unforgettable Ilaria Giandomenico) and organized the ice-breaking activities to kick off the summit. Activities included a visit to the paediatric hospital “Giovanni XXIII” to see the different departments and a visit to University of Bari “Aldo Moro” in the medicine’s formulations and the drug discovery laboratories. During the week all the Kids Chapters gave presentations, and all kids had the opportunity to express their ideas and share their voice. The summit was a rare opportunity for young people to interact directly with scientists, clinicians and stakeholders in paediatric health.
Helping to organize the summit was a memorable and rewarding experience for both KIDS Bari and the TEDDY network. TEDDY looks forward to being more involved in such opportunities for patient engagement and patient empowerment in the future!