English
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PortugueseSocial distancing has changed the way we react with one another. This pandemic certainly has affected how we save lives. But it will not stop us!
Patients are relying on us in their search for a cure.
The Icla da Silva Foundation is a non-profit with a simple mission. We save lives by recruiting stem cell donors. The more donors we add to the national registry, the greater the likelihood of finding a cure for a searching patient.
A stem cell donor is the only cure to life-threatening diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell.
We used to recruit potential donors by visiting universities, schools, and churches across the country. We held ‘recruitment drives’ where we would explain the needs and challenges to a larger audience. We would set up a table in high traffic areas and invite people to include themselves on the registry. We asked them to be a cure for a patient in need of a transplant.
These public drives are no longer happening. And while no one is sure about the future of social distancing for safety, we cannot afford to ‘wait and see’.
Blood cancer and sickle cell will not wait. A patient searching for their life-saving donor cannot wait to see what happens. Their life depends on finding a matching donor.
So we continue our mission. We are using every platform to spread the word and we continue to register more life-savers.
We post more often on social media, sharing patient stories.
We have been engaging student groups in Zoom meetings, sharing information, and presenting the challenge to those who are willing to listen.
As it turns out, people are listening. They are joining the registry. Many are willing to save a life…but it can be painstakingly slow.
Still, we move forward. Patients and their families are counting on us.
Do you have any ideas to help us reach more people? Do you know someone willing to save a life by adding themselves to the Be The Match registry?
Maybe you have a Facebook group where we could share patient stories? Perhaps you have a Zoom meeting that we could join to present a 10-minute life-saving challenge?
Please send me an email, I would love to learn more and I welcome the invites. You can help us save more lives in this socially distant world.
You can reach me via email here: bret@icla.org
Thanks for reading. Together we will save more lives.
Written by: Bret Itskowitch
Icla da Silva Foundation Recognizes 23 Marrow Donors in Orlando, Florida
On February 22, 2020, the Icla da Silva Foundation brought our Mix & Match luncheon to Orlando, Florida for the first time.
The Mix & Match events bring together cancer survivors, current patients in search of a match, and donors who have saved lives with a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Our guests share stories, make new friends and talk about ways to support our mission of saving lives.
We were honored to host 106 attendees in Orlando and we were grateful for the opportunity to recognize 23 marrow donors. These donors joined the registry and said “yes” when they received a call telling them that they matched a patient in need.
Every single one of them should be proud they had the faith and courage to save a life.
We will be showcasing “quotes” from some of the attendees on our social pages in the upcoming weeks.
Of course, we are also extremely thankful to Be The Match for providing their support and ensuring a successful luncheon.
We look forward to holding more Mix & Match events in a city near you.
Are you interested in working with us? We are always looking for future fundraisers, recruitment drive hosts, and volunteers. Click the link below to review different ways you can Get Involved. Sometimes it’s as simple as making introductions and allowing us to leverage your contacts to reach more people who may be interested in saving lives.
Thanks for reading. Together we will save more lives.
Alfredo Diaz is suffering from an extremely rare disease. A blood stem cell transplant, from a genetically matched donor is his only hope for a cure.
His mom, Natalia Torres, is confident that a matching donor will be found. “There’s one out there, we just have to find him or her.”
We are searching for Alfredo and his family…you can help us by joining the registry and sharing Alfredo’s story.