About us

The Foundation because Live It was created in 2009 by a group of health professionals who, faced with the suffering of too many children and families, saw the urgent need to improve care in pediatric palliative care. In 2013 it was officially constituted as a Foundation with the aim of supporting the development of this care throughout Spain, complementing public health services and working to guarantee comprehensive care.

Improve care for children and adolescents in need of palliative care and offer comprehensive support to their families.

That all children and adolescents in palliative care receive the best possible care, adapted to their needs, from the family, professionals and society.

Our Team

In the Foundation because Live , we believe that the true value of our work lies in the people who make it possible. We have a team of committed, passionate and specialized professionals in various areas, who work together with a single purpose: to provide comprehensive support and continuous accompaniment.

Meet the people behind our mission and how every day they contribute to making a difference.

Jose Carlos Lopez Seisdedos

Director

I am José Carlos, a doctor dedicated to development cooperation for twenty-six years and since 2017 director of the Foundation and the Psychosocial Care Team in the Comprehensive Care Program for People with Advanced Diseases.

"Palliatives have not extended our son's life, rather it has widened it" María Montoya

Mónica Cantón De Celis Calvo

CAPPI Project Director

I am responsible for the CAPPI Project. Previously, I was CEO of Design for Change Global Inc. and, previously, coordinator of Design for Change Spain. I have also worked as provincial director of Volunteering and Training, assistant to the provincial president and provincial director of Fundraising and Legal and Patrimonial Affairs of the Spanish Red Cross in León, and as provincial secretary of the Spanish Red Cross in Cádiz.

"When you kiss your son, remember that he is a mortal" Epictetus

Jara González Mañanas

Head of HR, Administration and Project Management

I am Jara, trained as a social worker and with a management vocation. My job is to provide rigour and commitment so that each Foundation project is carried out effectively and transparently. I support teams and manage resources responsibly.

"We work for children, because children are the ones who know how to love, because children are the hope of the world" José Martí

Ana Alcaide Donoso

Head of the Family Care and Volunteering Area

I am Ana, a health social worker specialising in palliative care. Since 2016 I have been part of the Psychosocial Care Team of the Comprehensive Care Programme for People with Advanced Illnesses of la Caixa and I am responsible for the area of care for families and the volunteering area of the Foundation.

"If we cannot give days to life, let us give life to days" Claude Bernard

Cristina Chis Conea

Psychologist

I am Cristina, a general health psychologist specialising in Palliative Care and Psycho-Oncology. I have been collaborating with the PorqueViven Foundation since March 2022, being part of the Psychosocial Care Team in the Comprehensive Care Program for People with Advanced Diseases.

"Sharing is living"

Aurora Martínez Monroy

Psychologist

I am Aurora, a general health psychologist specialising in Palliative Care, Psycho-oncology and Bereavement Care. I have been collaborating with the PorqueViven Foundation since January 2015, being part of the Psychosocial Care Team in the Comprehensive Care Program for People with Advanced Diseases.

"First is presence, then listening and then therapeutic tools" Eugene Gendlin

Raquel García Ramo

Psychologist

I am Raquel, a health psychologist specialising in paediatric palliative care and bereavement care. I have been part of the Foundation's team since 2023 and, since 2025, I have been a delegate in Aragon. I accompany children and their families by offering the necessary support to face the challenges involved in a serious and incurable disease, supporting them at every stage of the process. Helping them find strength in their vulnerability, promoting acceptance and well-being.

"Hope and patience are two infallible remedies, the safest and gentlest to rest while adversity lasts" Burton

Nieves Frechilla Arrocha

Music Therapist

I am Nieves, music therapist and social educator. I started in the music therapy project of PorqueViven in March 2022.

"Working with a vocation towards people, their needs and music is my passion"

Alcora de los Santos Mora

Physiotherapist

I am Alcora, a paediatric physiotherapist and expert in respiratory physiotherapy and paediatric palliative care. Since 2009 I have been part of the Hospice at Home team.

"You matter because you are you, you matter until the last moment of your life and we will do everything in our power, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until the day you die" Cicely Saunders

Alejandro González Peña

Health Social Worker

I am Alex, a health social worker at the Comprehensive Paediatric Palliative Care Unit of the Community of Madrid. Since 2009 I have been linked to Porque Viven doing my bit to respond to the social needs that arise around a seriously ill son or daughter. I am currently part of the continuous care in the Psychosocial Care Team in the Comprehensive Care Program for People with Advanced Diseases.

"Taking care of life is an art until the end"

Dominique Gross

Spiritual Referent

I am Dominique Gross, a social consultant and spiritual companion. When it seems that life is closing, that hope is fading, when the future becomes improbable and the present wears out, then spirituality and transcendence are resources, experiences and commitments that can transform, for the better, people's reality. To accompany this transformation, to contribute to making the spiritualities of l@s patients and their relatives – whatever forms they take – positive and useful resources for ell@s. it is a wonderful job. I feel very grateful to be able to facilitate, together with the rest of the Psychosocial Care Team in the Comprehensive Care Program for People with Advanced Diseases, this accompaniment.

María Rodríguez Nuñez

Occupational Therapist

I'm Maria, a certified occupational therapist in CLASI Sensory Integration and DIR Floortime with experience in early care for children with disabilities. I am part of the Occupational Therapy at Home project.

"Nadia has promised us a tomorrow, live in the present" Elena Huelva

Gema Rozas Feito

Accounting

I am Gema and I joined the Foundation's Administration and Accounting area in 2024. My job is to ensure that all resources are managed with transparency and accountability, allowing our work to reach all children and families who need it. With dedication and effort we try to ensure that we can continue to grow to offer quality care, to more and more people.

"The best teamwork is achieved by people who work independently with a common goal" James Cash Penney

Candela Manguez Morin

Nurse

I am Candela, a nurse with experience in pediatric palliative care in the unit of the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital and I am part of the Respiros a Domicilio project.

"Help you live to the end"

Claudia Tamujero

Nurse

I am Claudia, a nurse with experience in pediatric palliative care in the unit of the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital and was part of the Respiros a Domicilio project.

"Help you live to the end"

Cristina del Amo

Head of Communication

I am Cristina, a journalist specialising in corporate communication. My work focuses on informing, sensitizing and raising awareness in society about the importance of pediatric palliative care. Through relevant content that inspires action and fosters empathy, my purpose is to reflect our commitment to children and their families, giving visibility to their stories, showing the true essence of pediatric palliative care.

"Communication is not only what we say, it is also what we hear" George Bernard Shaw

Leonor Peinado

Social Worker

I am Leonor, a social worker specialized in the field of pediatric palliative care. I have been part of the Foundation's Aragon team since 2024, accompanying children and family members from the social sphere, offering comprehensive support. I work from the area of leisure, free time and self-care, to create meaningful spaces for children and their families, where they can share moments of connection and well-being, remaining as indelible memories.

"You can only see well with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eye" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in The Little Prince

Gema Rozas Feito

Accounting

"The best teamwork is achieved by people who work independently with a common goal" James Cash Penney

Thomas Nuño Mayer – President
Ricardo Martino Alba – Vice President
José Manuel González Sánchez – Trustee
José Manuel Moreno Villares – Trustee
Ignacio Velilla Fernández – Secretary
Marta Ugalde Blanco – Patron Saint
Marta Castro Pérez-Chirinos – Patron Saint
Teresa González Barreda – Patron Saint

Testimonies

"In paediatric palliative care, physiotherapy goes beyond the physical: we bring the service closer to home, offering personalised care and continuous support. We provide tools to families to improve the child's respiratory and postural care, helping them to gain autonomy in their day-to-day life. Here, the essential thing is not only the therapeutic objectives, but the comfort and well-being of the child, respecting their needs and desires."

"As a pediatric palliative care nurse, my job is to care for both the child and their family. We offer home respite, allowing families to rest and disconnect for a few hours with the peace of mind of knowing that their child will be well taken care of. We also teach them to care safely, giving them confidence in their day-to-day life. We cannot change reality, but we can attend, alleviate and accompany along the way."

"From families I receive a great lesson in resilience, generosity and love. Her strength and ability to find moments of joy, even in challenging circumstances, inspire me and remind me of the importance of valuing every moment."

"Today I can say that the Foundation because Live not only has she taken care of my son; he has taken care of us all. It has allowed us to live more calmly, with more humanity, with more truth. He has accompanied us in the most difficult decision and also in the deepest hope: that of living, as long as we can, to the fullest."

"The support of because Live It has been essential, not only for my son, but also for me as a mother and caregiver. Knowing that I can count on professionals available when I need them most gives me peace of mind. Thanks to the respite program, a nurse practitioner takes care of my son for a few hours, allowing me to rest, tend to my other children, or simply catch my breath. Feeling that someone also takes care of me gives me life."