A Magical Day with a Special Wish
On this most magical of days, children across the Canary Islands have just one wish: to wake up and find a tree laden with presents. Toys, scooters, and games consoles are typically the most coveted parcels in every island home. For children with cancer, these essentials are always accompanied by other requests that go beyond the material, such as a speedy recovery. This year, in particular, they have also asked the Three Wise Men for more efficiency in the bureaucratic processes related to their illness—a wish that, thanks to the latest Disability decree, is closer than ever to being granted.
The Long Wait for Vital Recognition
Cancer does not wait, and it never has. Yet, until recently, the minors who suffer from it and their families had to arm themselves with patience to access matters like disability certification, which could take up to a year to arrive. These long delays were accompanied by notable disparities in criteria, meaning that within the Archipelago, each patient experienced a different reality. A child with leukaemia in Tenerife might wait a year to be recognised with a 33% disability rating, while in Fuerteventura, another young person with the same diagnosis could obtain an 80% assessment in a shorter time.
A Legislative Change Brings Hope
However, a legislative change in the middle of last year brought a glimmer of hope to families. The Canarian Foundation ‘Pequeño Valiente’ (Little Brave One), which had been denouncing this situation for years, did not have to wait for the Wise Men for its wish to come true. In July 2025, a Disability decree was finally approved that prioritises minors under 18 with oncological pathologies and other serious illnesses. On paper, the rule removed all obstacles; in practice, the procedures are still taking months due to delays. The assessment teams are grappling with a large backlog of pending applications that has prevented them from catching up.
“They are processing files from 2025; the latest we know is that they were working on ones from June,” notes the association’s president, José Jerez. Above all, the entity acknowledges that the Administration has made “very important” efforts to improve the processing of these cases. In fact, during these first months of the decree’s validity, they have not only seen positive evolution but have also noticed that resolutions are progressing at a good pace—something they particularly celebrate.
Progress Made, But Room for Improvement
Despite the advances achieved, they argue there is still room for improvement: “I know all possible means have been put in place, and we are happy about that, but we still need to reach timeframes that allow for a response tailored to the needs of applying families.” In this vein, he highlights that, although some gaps remain, the differences within the territory have also been notably curbed. “The islands that were furthest behind are now getting their act together,” he adds.
The Critical Importance of the Certificate
Each year, cancer enters the lives of between 35 and 50 Canarian children, according to the foundation’s own data. For all of them, following diagnosis, a minimum of 33% disability should be recognised automatically. That rating will need to be reviewed periodically, as it could also be modified depending on how the illness evolves and what sequelae the child is left with. In many cases, children are accredited with a degree higher than 65%.
For their parents, this certificate is also a help to mitigate the costs derived from treatment, which usually lasts between one and two years. The recognition of disability allows them, among other benefits, to access welfare payments, educational grants, the social electricity tariff, and special parking cards. “It’s a piece of paper that makes a huge difference; those who have a sibling can also obtain the status of a large family, which translates, for example, into discounts on flights,” he points out.
Restoring a Lost Priority
The current decree restores a priority they already had in 2016. That year, a definitive resolution was issued that standardised the criteria for establishing the degree of disability for all these minors, thus managing to unify guidelines in both Canary Island provinces for the recognition of 33% disability during two years of treatment. Following that measure, all procedures were streamlined, and all cases of minors under 18 undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy treatment were treated as priorities.
The only drawback at that time was that the recognition was revoked after two years, leaving the child unprotected after the first 24 months, when processes for oncology patients typically last between five and ten years. This dynamic of fluid procedures continued until 2022, the year in which the Disability assessment scales were updated and priority was given solely to children under six.
This change represented a major setback for the families of Pequeño Valiente, who until last summer had to access the assessment through the ordinary queue. “We know it has also been due to previous governments and that the situation has improved a lot, but the oldest files are affecting the new ones,” maintains the president.
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