“It is a story of love and fantasy for all ages,” describes author Adriana Miranda Ribeiro. “It is a story with many possible interpretations. An adult might perceive the message one way and perhaps a child another.”
A content producer for Grupo Impresa, Adriana provides the text for an illustrated book by Célia Torres, a pharmacy technician, with design by Alexandra Xavier.
The profits will entirely go to the Rui Osório de Castro Foundation, which is dedicated to research in the area of childhood cancer.
In statements to Lusa, the author—who experienced pediatric cancer firsthand when her daughter Laura was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 at the age of three—explains her choice to allocate the book’s proceeds to this particular cause. The book was crafted over five years.
“Everything, all aspects are important, require investment and deserve support, such as psychological support and accommodation, but we chose this foundation because we believe research is fundamental. Treating leukemia lasts about two years, and cancer treatments are very aggressive. If treatments advanced, there would be more success and fewer side effects,” she notes.
The book’s presentation states that its goal is to “help change statistics and improve the quality of life for those experiencing pediatric cancer,” as well as “raise society’s awareness of childhood cancer.”
“We may not be able to change the whole world, but we are happy if we can improve what surrounds us,” she adds.
Published by the Cineclube de Guimarães and based on texts Adriana Miranda Ribeiro wrote while her daughter was hospitalized, “The Girl Who Licked the Cat” is described as “a tale of hope, through the story of a mother who comes to see the world in black and white” and a daughter who begins a journey of healing where “love, memory, and courage are the essential colors.”
In Portugal, four in every 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer annually.
In 2022, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, 245 new cases appeared in children up to 15 years old, the highest rate among evaluated countries.
The presentation is scheduled for 16:00 at the Gallery of Biodiversity – Living Science Center, in Porto.
The session will include speeches by Cristiana Vieira, curator of the MHNC-UP Herbarium, Mariana Mena, general director of the Rui Osório Castro Foundation, and Jorge Lima, deputy director and researcher at IPATIMUP – i3S.
