On 3 February 2023, a regular Friday of school and extracurricular activities, Martí Bach’s life came to a sudden halt when he received some devastating news: he had cancer of the blood. He was just 13 years old.

What followed was a gruelling two-year battle with leukaemia. It was a tough process of hospital stays, treatments, physical changes and intense emotions, which Martí decided to document in a personal diary. That diary has now been turned into a book, Pilota aturada (Stopped Ball), a raw and deeply personal account of his experiences but with a footballing twist.

A passionate football and Barça fan, Martí structures his story like a football match: each chapter opens with a quote from a leading figure in the game and moves through defeats, periods of waiting and small victories. “It was a venomous strike, straight at goal… but I saved it,” he writes near the end of the diary, capturing the spirit of resilience that runs throughout the book.

FC Barcelona, through the Barça Foundation, is shining a light on his story to mark International Childhood Cancer Day. Having heard about Martí’s journey, Barça player Dani Olmo paid him a very special visit at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

During their time together, Olmo wrote a personal dedication that will appear in the book, due for release in the coming days. It was a simple but poignant moment, marked by the instant bond formed between the two ‘football addicts’ and a shared message of hope and determination. The book also features a foreword written by the Director General of the Barça Foundation, Dr Marta Segú.

Dani Olmo has been involved in a number of charity initiatives and, specifically in relation to childhood cancer, has previously collaborated with Casa dels Xuklis, a residential centre for families of children undergoing long-term cancer treatment, where Martí himself spent eight months during the most intense phase of his treatment, an experience he also recounts in his diary.

Now 17, Martí has been able to return to what he loves most, playing football. His diary is more than a record of an illness; it is the story of a teenager who has learned that the match is never over until the final whistle blows.

This initiative forms part of the Polseres Blaugranes (Blaugrana Bracelets) program, which aims to improve the emotional wellbeing of seriously ill children and young people in hospital, as well as that of their families throughout their battle with illness. The program focuses on creating warmer, more welcoming environments in hospitals, fostering emotional support and helping make their experience more bearable.

Força Barça