A final message from Menorcan teenager Naia Llabrés is bringing renewed attention to the challenges faced by children with cancer and their families when specialist treatment requires them to leave the smaller Balearic islands.

Naia, who was 16 when she died on July 18, 2026, from a rare osteosarcoma in the skull with lung metastases, recorded an interview with Carlos Roca for the Roca Project podcast before her death. She asked that the conversation only be published after she had died and her family was ready.

The episode, titled “Naia y su grito a la vida: un legado imborrable,” was released on September 16 and quickly attracted a large audience. Her testimony has also revived her call for greater resources for children with cancer and their families.

Naia wanted her experience to help other children

During the interview, Naia spoke openly about her diagnosis, treatment and the emotional reality of knowing that she was going to die at a very young age.

She also wanted her experience to highlight the difficulties faced by children living on islands that do not have specialist pediatric oncology facilities.

Naia was treated at Hospital Universitario Son Espases in Mallorca. Her experience included prolonged periods away from Menorca, meaning that her family and friends had to adapt to a situation in which treatment took place on another island.

She described the distance from home as one of the particularly difficult aspects of the illness.

Ibiza and Menorca do not have dedicated pediatric oncology units

The issue extends beyond Menorca.

Hospital Can Misses in Ibiza and Hospital Mateu Orfila in Menorca do not have dedicated pediatric oncology units. Pediatric cancer cases requiring specialist oncology care are referred to Son Espases in Mallorca, which serves as the specialist center for pediatric oncology in the Balearic Islands.

This does not mean that children on Ibiza or Menorca receive no medical care on their home islands. Both hospitals provide pediatric services, while specialist oncology treatment is concentrated at Son Espases.

Son Espases' pediatric oncology and hematology service provides diagnosis and treatment for childhood cancers, including leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors, alongside specialist surgery, radiotherapy and other oncology services.

The journey to Mallorca adds another burden

For families from Ibiza, Formentera and Menorca, specialist pediatric cancer treatment can therefore involve travelling to Mallorca and spending significant periods away from home.

Aspanob, the Association of Parents of Children with Cancer of the Balearic Islands, provides support to families dealing with this situation.

A February 2026 interview with an Aspanob psychological professional in Ibiza also highlighted the additional emotional burden created when parents have to travel to Son Espases with their children, leaving other family members behind on the island.

For a child undergoing lengthy treatment, the practical consequences can include accommodation away from home, disrupted schooling, separation from siblings and friends, and additional travel for relatives.

Naia also spoke about pediatric palliative care

Her message was not limited to cancer treatment.

Naia spoke about the need for better pediatric resources, including palliative care for children.

She described her own experience of receiving care at home toward the end of her illness and questioned why families in smaller islands should have to face additional difficulties because specialist resources are concentrated elsewhere.

Her argument was fundamentally about access to care and the impact that geographical distance can have on children and their families.

Her cancer was an osteosarcoma

Naia was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma affecting the skull, with the disease later spreading to the lungs.

Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer and is relatively uncommon among children.

The specialist nature of such cases is one reason pediatric oncology care is concentrated in specialist centers. Son Espases currently operates a dedicated pediatric oncology and hematology service covering childhood cancers and complex treatments.

She wanted greater research into childhood cancer

Naia also used her final interview to call attention to the need for more research into childhood cancers.

She explained that she had known very little about osteosarcoma before becoming ill and wanted greater visibility for less common childhood cancers.

Her message was not simply about her own illness. She wanted research and medical advances to benefit children who would face similar diagnoses in the future.

Her family is continuing that message

Following the publication of the interview, Naia's family and supporters have established “Sa Llum de na Naia,” a movement dedicated to keeping her message alive.

The initiative is supporting greater awareness of childhood cancer and fundraising for research, including work connected with the CRIS Cancer Foundation.

The campaign is also collaborating with Aspanob and has attracted support from public figures and athletes.

A fundraising team named Sa Llum de na Naia is scheduled to participate in the CRIS Cancer Race in Madrid on September 27, with funds directed toward childhood cancer research.

A message that reaches beyond one island

Naia's story has resonated particularly strongly in Menorca, but the issue she highlighted affects families across the smaller Balearic islands.

The current healthcare structure means that specialist pediatric oncology is concentrated at Son Espases rather than being provided through dedicated oncology units at Can Misses or Mateu Orfila.

Her final interview has therefore opened a wider conversation about what specialist healthcare should look like for children living away from Mallorca.

Naia knew she could not change her own outcome. What she hoped was that sharing her experience could help change what comes next for other children.

Her message now lives on through her family, the Sa Llum de na Naia initiative and the growing public attention surrounding childhood cancer research and support.