English
Spanish
PortugueseREMOVING BARRIERS: Marc’s Story
Halfmoon, New York
After several years of unexplained pain in his stomach, Marc was diagnosed with myelofibrosis. It’s a rare cancer of the bone marrow that disrupts the production of blood cells.
His only cure was a bone marrow transplant.
Marc received a transplant, but he encountered many complications during treatment.
A Long Recovery Process
Marc was in treatment much longer than expected. A blood clot lead to encephalopathy. His heart stopped several times, which led to a pacemaker. He had GVHD and he may need to have a liver transplant.
He was expecting to be away from home for 1-3 months, but it took more than 6 months.
As is usual with most transplant centers, he was required to stay within 30 miles of the medical center during outpatient treatment. But Marc, his wife, and their teenage twin boys live 150 miles away.
The Caregiver Experience
Marc’s wife Talin stayed with him as a caregiver.
The transplant team requires a dedicated caregiver before they will even schedule a bone marrow transplant. Someone must be available full-time to help the patient during transplant and recovery.
A caregiver assists with transportation to the outpatient clinic, maintaining a medication schedule, and keeping an eye out for changes in the patients condition or signs of infection.
Of course, a big part of the job is love and attention.
Overcoming Obstacles/Grateful for Assistance
Marc had gone through diagnosis, treatment, and a bone marrow transplant. This was followed by medical complications and a long road to recovery. All during that time his wife took on caregiver responsibilities.
They were both far from home for 6 months. Their boys would visit by train.
Obviously, neither of them could work during treatment and outpatient recovery, but the extra expenses kept coming in.
Thanks to the support of donors like you, the Icla da Silva Foundation helped fund accommodations and meals while Marc was in treatment.
He is grateful.
“It was a relief to have financial help, especially with my wife and I being out of work and having many more expenses being in the city longer than expected. We were both shocked and became emotional by the generosity.
It is such a wonderful organization that can take a tragic event in one’s life and turn it around to ease the burden of others going through a similar situation.” -Marc M.
Looking to the Future
Marc is still under medical supervision, but at least he is at home surrounded by his family.
Still, we’re sure he would like to get back to the way things used to be.
Marc was an 8th grade social studies teacher, dean of students, and coach for both football and basketball. He hopes he’ll be well enough to return to work in the future.
He would also like to take a much-needed vacation.
Before all that, Marc must wait for his immunity to improve. He just wants to be able to see his family and friends without masks or restrictions.
We hope that happens soon, and we wish the best for Marc and his family. The Icla da Silva Foundation was happy to play a role in his recovery.
You Can Help a Patient in their Time of Need
Your donation will help a patient overcome obstacles during treatment and put them on a path to recovery.
Please donate to ease the unexpected burdens of a patient in treatment to receive a marrow transplant.
Support our mission by making a donation today!
Written by: Bret Itskowitch
Still Smiling – David Gonzales Shares His Story
David Gonzales shares his story from Centro Church in Dallas, Texas.
David has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, recurring 4 times in his life. He has undergone 415 days of chemo and radiation and he is currently in remission.
Despite his disease, he still smiles. He is living his life and he continues to support his community by holding bone marrow drives with the Icla da Silva Foundation.
Hispanic and Latino persons who are suffering from various blood cancers, only have a 23% chance of finding a matching donor. A 23% chance at a life-saving cure.
There simply aren’t enough Latinos included on the registry.
A matching bone marrow or stem cell donor is the only cure for many patients.
Together, we can increase the likelihood of finding a match by asking as many people as possible to join the Be The Match registry.
Watch the short video below where Dave shares his story. After you join the registry, share with your family and friends so they may also join the registry. Help us change the odds…help us save more lives.
Written by Bret Itskowitch, special thanks to Andres David Lopez for shooting and editing.