Brazilian Marrow Donor Urges Others to Join

Elaine Freitas is a photographer who loves to photograph love.  Her subjects say that she is patient and calm.  Some refer to Elaine as a magician, finding smiles where they didn’t exist before.

Elaine and her husband are both Brazilian.  They had learned about a bone marrow registration in their hometown of Framingham, Massachusetts and heard the story about a 13 year old Brazilian girl who had had passed away because she could not find a matching donor.  That girl was Icla da Silva.

They both registered at the Bone Marrow drive.  Two years later, in 2004, Elaine received a call that she was a match for a patient in need.  As expected, she was frightened, but went to Dana Farber Cancer Institute to be examined and tested.

In March of 2005 she donated bone marrow.  She still does not know the patient, but she considers her experience the opportunity of a lifetime.  Imagine knowing that you were able to assist at giving someone a second chance at life.  That is an opportunity that she could not give up on.  Elaine insists she would do it all over again at a moments notice.

Elaine Freitas hopes that people recognize the wonder of life by registering and ultimately being able to donate you bone marrow to save someone else’s life.  She still remembers the story of Icla da Silva and could not imagine what she would do if a family member had leukemia without the chance to have a life again.

We honor you Elaine Freitas, you truly are a loving , patient magician.

Won’t you please consider joining the registry to give someone else a second chance at life?