What a fantastic week at the Icla da Silva Foundation.  We were privileged to share yet another tale of hope and pure humanity.  This is the story of the first honorees for the 2017 New York Yankees Hope Week Celebration (#HopeWeek) – the inspirational story of Victor Garcia and his adorable little sister, Nayyelyn.  Victor’s[…]

Inspirational, radiant, spunky, beautiful, loving and full of life. These are a few qualities which sprung to mind when I first had the privilege of seeing Briana. The 12-year-old’s adorable smile lights up the entire room, as her bubbly laugh frames any difficult conversations.  She is a beloved part of their local church and adores[…]

In 2009, Bruno was living the normal life of a 9-year-old in Texas. One day his mother noticed that his gums had become swollen, and Bruno told her that he had some trouble breathing. After being evaluated at dentist’s office, the dentist sent him directly to the emergency room where he was then diagnosed with[…]

The Icla da Silva Foundation celebrated its annual Hope Gala this year on October 19 at Guastavino’s in New York City. Attended by over 300 guests, the Foundation raised critical funds necessary to help us recruit bone marrow donors, and support patients suffering from leukemia and other blood diseases. The evening reached a high point[…]

Last year, Victor’s mother, Ana, noticed that her son’s health was failing. She went to see a variety of specialists in their hometown in the Dominican Republic, hoping to find out what could possibly be ailing her ten-year-old son. It wasn’t long before the diagnosis was clear: Victor had leukemia; he would not survive without[…]

Have You Got the Giving Spirit? Three years ago, nonprofits across the nation came together to encourage Americans to give back during one special day, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.  Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the suitably named Giving Tuesday asks that we not forget those in need during the kick-off of the holiday season.[…]

September is National Blood Cancer Awareness Month! Why do we need awareness? Because every 3 minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer. The blood cancers are a group of more than 80 separate, but related diseases, including Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Despite progress, more than a third[…]

The Icla da Silva Foundation has announced that it will host its first ever Matchmaker 5K Run/Walk in Boston, Massachusetts.  We invite all our New England friends to join us at the City on a Hill to stretch, move, and dance, in support of our critical mission: to add potential bone marrow donors to the[…]

What’s the issue? Every year, 13,000 Americans need a bone-marrow transplant from someone outside their family to cure 65 blood diseases, most notably leukemia.  Every day 6,000 people search the registry for a match. Our response: 2,846: Marrow drives to date.  The Icla da Silva Foundation holds over 250 marrow drives per month to add[…]

People celebrate birthdays, half-birthdays, anniversaries, even monthaverseries but very few celebrate a re-birthday. It’s been five years since Miabelle underwent a bone marrow transplant, and in those five years she has learned, grown, and lived a beautiful life. There is so much to celebrate; each step is its own milestone, and to see Miabelle so[…]