Taking children's point of view into consideration is sometimes to test our own common sense but it does not mean they are wrong and we are not.
During childhood the logic may be different, It is true, but we should not translate it as not logical, in fact there are more and more stories in which we find children who advise adults, municipalities or even research teams.
In Spain there is a hospital that has a council of "little scientists" It is the hospital Sant Joan de Déu, the only one in Spain that has it, that listens to them systematically and that applies many of its advice because logic is not at odds with age or rather, with the lack of it and sometimes adults, even if they are scientists, doctors or researchers, this "younger" point of view also helps them.
In medicine, for example, speaking the same language between doctor and patient is essential and when the patient is an even more fundamental child, if possible.
In the hospital Sant Joan de Déu they know this and in fact they have been the first in Spain to take another step. They speak the same language as children because it is the children who tell the doctors themselves.
Is about an international project in which children have their own voice both in medicine, research or innovation. Is called "Kids" and it's like an advice of "little scientists" or maybe not so much but they are in it.
They meet with the doctors, they receive classes on the subject and when they understand it, when they assimilate it, when they know what they are talking about, the debate begins. A debate between you and children between adults and why not?
Children with initiative
No, they are not the first of whom we speak to you and I am sure that these “little medical advisors” of the Sant Joan de Deu hospital will not be the last of whom we will speak on this page. Children with initiative, ability and desire to do things for others.
Like Helena, the Sevillian girl who, thinking of Syrian refugees arriving at the European borders, considered how to make one of the roundabouts in her municipality.
Or like Jani, the 10-year-old boy who as if it were easy to hack Instagram, which brought him $ 10,000 from the owner company.
Or, like Hailey, the 9-year-old girl who built herself (and may continue to do so) shelters for the homeless who lived in her neighborhood.
Or like Hilde, the 9-year-old girl who feels like a journalist and certainly has no lack of vocation.
Or Anvitha, the youngest Apple programmer who is only 11 years old and is already a promise of the company.
Children who undoubtedly have the desire and ability to do many things, the difference is that they do it individually and in this case, we talk about children themselves but that they work as a team, that they learn in each situation and that the possibilities of Help with your work.
Many of them are even children who have first been patients of the center itself and to those who have proposed their own doctors to be part of the program, of the project. Trying a new medicine for example since half of the drugs on the market turn out to be unproven with children, with what this means, so it is essential.
In Spain, children from 12 years of age have to sign a consent when doctors propose to try a medicine but of course, give a child a document with more than 15 sheets to read, understand and sign is to Sometimes an almost impossible mission.
In the Hospital Sant Joan de Deu through the team of “small advisors” the first thing they have done has been to reduce that consent from 15 to 5 pages, with clear lyrics and language far enough away from medical terms so that the little ones understand it perfectly.
The group that works in Sant Joan de Deu was born just a year ago, in 2015 but Like this team, there are another 16 around the world spread across Canada, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Australia, made up of children and young people between 8 and 21 years old. They are an international network, the ICAN network.
A few days ago some of the children of this network have met in Barcelona, they have received them at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu to share experiences and progress made during the year of life of the project.
With this project it is clear that it is intended to involve children and families of medicine and research and perhaps by the way some of the children who participate as advisors now become researchers, doctors or scientists when they become adults . Projects to work in the present with a magnificent future perspective.
