It is a contagious smile that constantly appears as a sign of those who adhere to the principle that “sad little builds.” They carry it in their backpack Mikel and Mentsu, his wife, for twelve years. No one would have said this, it would seem that the load of his life backpack is light and full of happiness. Mikel is convinced that this “shot” is given to him every day, every morning when he wakes up, by his son John. It was he who taught them to compress life, compress every moment and shower those around them with hugs and gratitude.

It happened once in the mountains in 2008. As on other occasions, the Renteria Mendieta family went to enjoy nature and their great hobby. Little Zhongju somehow stumbled strangely. It seemed that something was wrong. Soon the diagnosis was confirmed. Mikel and Manchu don’t forget this day, it was October 13th of that year when everything went dark. His middle son suffered from a rare and serious neurodegenerative disease. The doctors assured them that he would continue and could end his life in just fifteen months. They were wrong.

Their middle son John was only 6 years old. Today he is an adult who continues to be the center of his every day. He does it from the darkness of his almost total blindness, the immobility of his already grown and heavy body, demanding more than laughter and kisses. It makes up for it with the joy of what they’ve become he became the captain of the team the whole family: “Our son is not pathetic, on the contrary, he is a beacon. It is an engine of change, of optimism, so that we do not rely on pity, but on the illusion and confidence that as a society we will put an end to these diseases, ”says Mikel.

His father shaved off his beard this morning. Jonchu has been John for a long time. He is 20 years old and has become the engine and fuel of his optimism and the center of his life. The night of unanswered questions as to why, the misfortune of being “rewarded” with this rare disease, with a prevalence of one case per 175,000 inhabitants, did not last long. The family decided that there was no room for mourning but room for action, that sadness would not settle in their home, and that the only backpack they would carry in their lives would be to give meaning and purpose to their son’s life. Now the mountains would be real, and also the ones that John and many like him demanded to climb: pinnacles of research, advances in minority diseases that had always been relegated to the background. The WOP movement, The Walk On Project (WOP), was born.

“The Quixotic Challenge”

Getting up with such a diagnosis is not easy. Mikel decided to do this while he was composing a song for his son on guitar. This “Walk” will be a new path in his life. He left the company he was managing, his wife gave up her job as a teacher, and the family founded the social enterprise organization that has become the benchmark today. The goal is to get research funds and turn them into your grain of sand.

So far, around one million euros have been raised to fulfill the dream of getting rid of illnesses like John’s. Through the WOP foundation, they have funded five research projects, and two more will soon be funded: “This is a small grain of sand, but this is our grain of sand,” Renteria assures with satisfaction: “We are talking about a quixotic challenge, since society. The point is that neurodegenerative diseases are on the agenda and social priorities.”

I don’t want a GPit’s a pity”, not a battle for his son, but for science as a solution to eradicate diseases like those from which he suffers: “We had a very comfortable life. I was the director of an industrial company, Manchu was a high school teacher, and we knew very clearly that our happiness could no longer be based on the course our lives were taking, but rather on the reality that John brought into our lives. We decided to get off that train and dedicate our lives to it.”

Today, John is practically not being treated. At the very least, the bone marrow transplant he underwent due to the fact that his sister Maria was compatible was able to keep much of the disease’s progress. From now on, little or nothing will be able to benefit him in the short term, but I know for future occasions, “for the many other ‘Jones’ we have met along the way”: “Science has advanced many times over through research into marginal diseases. The goal is that through all these small studies, a transversal therapy can be achieved that can benefit many diseases. We see that there is a gene therapy that can be applied to many of them.”

The creativity of their bets is undoubtedly one of the hallmarks of the way they attract attention and funding. Undoubtedly, one of the most striking and managed to attract attention was “Estropatada”. Tens of thousands of small yellow ducks are thrown into the mouth of Bilbao in solidarity and compete for first place in a specific exploration regatta. Later, while the Foundation was formulating its requests for researchers, many other initiatives appeared to fund it. Always through two of Mikel and Mentsu’s three great passions: mountains, music, and their son John.

Creative and valuable initiatives

This Saturday the 10th The Walk On Project Band will play with artist Quique Gonzalez in Bilbao. Before them there were Loquillo, M-Clan or Elliot Muphy, among others. WOP is already working on new shows. The band’s latest album is also on sale. But musical stakes in favor of research include creative initiatives such as the “Flashmob” involving hundreds of people, which they held in the Basque capitals and Pamplona.

Sport is another support. The WOP Challenge 2023 team and relay race is already scheduled for next September. The support of many athletes, especially from the mountaineering world, enabled the WOP to complete tasks that raised funds and brought attention to their battle. Some of our country’s leading climbers and climbers have been involved in many projects.

Family activities are also on the list of valuable initiatives that Renteria chooses. “We aim to win people’s support through the products and events we organize, but also because they are attractive. For example, we work hard on the quality of our merchandising. Or events. We want to engage them and also make them feel that at the same time they are cooperating with the investigation.”

Seven research projects

The WOP Foundation has funded five research projects with two more to follow. Since 2010, he has raised almost a million euros: “It’s a small grain of sand, but it’s our grain of sand,” says Renteria.

The latest insanity in this WOP family is virtual duck racing that will float the oceans thanks to ocean currents. They will do this in real time from 13 to 22 December. Each one, identified by a tracking number, can be received and monitored via satellite and thanks to the Copernicus program. The customizable “Wopatos” will be launched in the waters of French Brittany, and the duck with the most miles will win the biggest prize – the use of a Toyota electric car for a year. In addition, the Wop TV program will report daily on the development of the test and give away prizes every day.

Twelve years have passed since the birth of WOP, since they changed their lives to improve the lives of others. “And I would say that the balance is that we are happy, that was the goal, and that we continue to build our path by contributing to this fight. We have taken small steps, but we know there is still a lot to be done.”