The Bucharest chapter of the Kids Kicking Cancer movement

Kids Kicking Cancer with BudoBucharest, Romania

We turn treatment moments into moments of courage.

The Bucharest chapter works with children in treatment through breathing, posture, and focus exercises inspired by Budo, adapted to medical settings and supported by trained volunteers.

The program combines bedside work, volunteer preparation, applied research, and the fundraising needed to keep the work going.

A masked child strikes a training pad held by an instructor dressed for the operating room right at the hospital bedside.
Budo exercises shift attention away from fear and toward action.
3 priorities

volunteering, research, fundraising

Bilingual

Romanian and English

1 mission

courage, regulation, and support

Local identity

The Bucharest chapter brings an international method into a clear local framework.

The Bucharest chapter is part of the international Kids Kicking Cancer movement and works to bring the Budo method into hospitals together with volunteers, families, and institutional partners.

Operating chapter based in Bucharest, Sector 3

Authorized in 2025

Part of the broader Kids Kicking Cancer legacy

See official details

What we do

We work across three connected areas.

The work begins at the bedside and grows through research and support from the community.

01

Hospital volunteering

Volunteers work with the child through short breathing, posture, and focus exercises inside a safe, disciplined framework adapted to medical reality.

How to help
02

Research and EU-funded projects

We are looking for pilot studies and partnerships with hospitals and universities that can evaluate perceived pain, procedural stress, and the feasibility of the method.

Research priorities
03

Purposeful fundraising

Funding supports bedside sessions, volunteer training, responsible documentation, and preparation for research projects.

Stories and ideas

How it works

The Budo method as practical regulation.

Children learn short exercises they can use before a procedure, during it, or afterward.

Breath

Breathing gives rhythm and helps a child recover attention in a difficult moment.

Posture and voice

Posture, gaze, and voice help the child move from passivity toward participation.

Community

When volunteers, families, and the clinical team use the same cues, the method becomes recognizable and repeatable.

A masked child and an instructor in protective gear raise their fists inside a hospital room.
Courage can be practiced through small, repeatable, recognizable gestures.

Useful references

These organizations show how method, research, and family support can be connected.

We include them because they offer clear examples of programs, resources, and credible public communication.

mymatio.org

MATIO / formerly Kids Kicking Cancer

Shows how the method can be explained to families and how research resources can be gathered in one place.

Open source

childrenwithcancer.org.uk

Children with Cancer UK

Shows how research, family support, and fundraising can be presented without losing clarity.

Open source

worldchildcancer.org

World Child Cancer

Shows how an NGO can speak clearly about partnerships, public policy, and long-term change.

Open source

Program archive

Archive images show a program with history and documented activity.

The photographs show bedside work, training moments, and direct links to the wider international Kids Kicking Cancer community.

A masked child and an instructor in medical gear give a thumbs up in a hospital room.
The program builds confidence in the middle of treatment.
Several Budo volunteers stand around a masked patient sitting on a hospital bed.
Community makes the difference between a visit and a sustainable program.
Documentary photograph of the KKC founder alongside a program representative.
The link to the international movement brings legitimacy and continuity.
A group of practitioners and supporters photographed inside a large room in Rome.
The Romanian chapter can be framed as part of a broader European legacy.
Collage showing Italian press coverage about Kids Kicking Cancer.
Public visibility is part of the mission, not just a side effect.

From the work

Articles on the method, volunteering, and research.

Here we explain how we work, what partnerships we are seeking, and what community support can make possible.

Get involved

Help us carry this work further in Romania.

The Bucharest chapter is looking for volunteers, partners, and supporters who can sustain bedside work and help prepare research and development projects.

Kids Kicking Cancer with Budo