“This tree will be their confidant”: children with cancer will plant a “Forest of Stars” in the Marne

It is a poetic idea but above all symbolic. The first “Forest of Stars” will come to life in Chenay (Marne), on one hectare, a few kilometers from Reims, from this Saturday, November 9, 2024. In the morning, a dozen children with cancer will be invited to plant their sessile oak with their family on a plot provided by the municipality. The Étoiles association, which is leading this project, will also ensure the installation of additional shrubs. A second wave of planting will take place in the same location in 2025.

“The children have already stopped by to choose their location. This tree will be their confidant and psychological support. This forest is intended to be a place of calm where we escape this hospital whirlwind, a place where we can relax with our loved ones,” underlines Alexandre Blanc, vice-president of the Étoiles association. A haven of peace located on the outskirts of Reims (Marne) which could be offered, in the medium term, for meetings between caregivers and families, to escape the hospital setting. “Our vocation is to get them out of their condition as sick children, and this new place will participate in that. Until now, our flagship operation, Les Étoiles fait son Cinéma, allowed us to take children to Cannes for the festival. We had a partnership with the University Hospitals of Reims, Lyon, Nice and Cannes. Next year, other services will benefit from it in other cities.”

Based in the Paris region, the Étoiles association, founded by Ardennes residents in 2020, has a national aim. Beyond its support for sick children, it raises awareness among the general public about pediatric cancers. “The forest will also have the role of raising awareness of these diseases. A wooden plaque will be installed in front of each oak tree, engraved with the first and last names of its young manager and the type of cancer he has,” explains Alexandre Blanc. Subsequently, the Chenay Star Forest will also welcome schoolchildren, with the aim of making it a place of discovery about the natural functioning of the forest ecosystem.

The Étoiles association subsequently hopes to inaugurate other forests of this type in France, each time less than 15 minutes from a pediatric oncology department.