REMOVING BARRIERS – Aaron & Ryan’s Story

(Updated: May 27, 2023)

Hollywood, Florida

 When we first learned about Marelyn and her twin boys, they needed financial assistance. Both boys, Aaron and Ryan, were both diagnosed with sickle cell disease and they were scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant.

This is what we do.

The Icla da Silva Foundation assists patients on their journey to receive a bone marrow transplant. For patients demonstrating financial need, we provide grants during treatment.

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But when we met, we discovered that this was their second transplant. The boys had already received a stem cell transplant from their mom last year. Due to complications, they needed another one. 

It Was a Difficult Situation

As a single mom, Marelyn has been unable to work, She was the devoted caregiver for two 8-year-old boys with a blood disease. She has been without income for an extended period.

She was in a very difficult situation. 

Marelyn was alone, afraid, and unsure of the outcome. With sickle cell disease, the boys have lived in pain for years. They had already been through treatment and transplant, and now they needed to do it all over again.

Watch Mom try to explain some of her challenges. It’s a very hard thing to ask for help.

Emotional Support

We were happy to provide the family with a grant while the twins were in treatment. We helped with housing, transportation, and support for meals. But, Marelyn needed more.

She needed emotional support, someone to talk with who could understand her challenges. She needed a shoulder to lean on.

We have been speaking with Marelyn 2-3 times a week in the months before the boys’ second transplant. Days, evenings, and weekends; it didn’t matter. We wanted to help her get through this ordeal and understand that she is not alone.

At the very least, we wanted to provide her with hope.

The 2nd Bone Marrow Transplant Was a Success

The boys have received their second bone marrow transplant. Once again, their mom was the donor.

UPDATE: The boys are doing well and we received a quick update from their mother…look at them now!

We want Marelyn to have high hopes for their future. We wish the boys a full life.

Thanks for reading. You can support more patient families like Marelyn, Aaron, and Ryan with a donation. Even the smallest gift can make a huge impact on life during treatment.

Together, we will continue to make a difference for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.

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Written by: Bret Itskowitch

REMOVING BARRIERS – Terry’s Story

Winfield, MO

When Terry was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, he was devastated. It started with a visit to the doctor for kidney troubles, and before he knew it, he was faced with a life-threatening illness. His doctor recommended chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant.

But Terry had some major obstacles. 

He and his family lived an hour away from the nearest transplant center. Relocating for treatment wasn’t a viable option. His daughter, who is disabled, relied on him for both physical and emotional support.

Terry was faced with an impossible choice – skip his bone marrow transplant or risk leaving his daughter without the care she needed.

Providing Life-Saving Financial Support 

That’s when Icla Cares stepped in. We provided the family with the financial assistance they needed to make the transplant possible. With our support, Terry was able to cover the cost of transportation, groceries, and even feed for their emotional support animals.

Thanks to our help, Terry received his life-saving bone marrow transplant. His social worker, Claire Pees at Saint Louis University Hospital, said that “the Icla da Silva Foundation made his transplant possible.“

Terry can now look forward to many more years with his family. He can focus on healing and being there for his daughter, knowing that he has a second chance at life.

You Can Help

There are still many patients like Terry who are struggling to afford the costs associated with life-saving treatments. With your support, we can provide critical financial assistance to patients in need.

Please consider a donation and help us support more patients like Terry. Your gift will make a difference and help save a life.

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Thank you for your support!

Written by: Bret Itskowitch

Removing barriers so a little girl can receive her life-saving treatment.

Valery Hernandez is a 9-year-old girl from the Dominican Republic. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019. After two years of chemotherapy at the Instituto de Oncologia in the Dominican Republic, her cancer finally went into remission.

But the leukemia was so aggressive that it returned after only five months.

While a bone marrow transplant was her only option, the hospital in DR does not perform pediatric bone marrow transplants.

The medical team there referred her to the Icla da Silva Foundation.

We helped identify a transplant center in the U.S., Nemours Children’s Health, for her bone marrow transplant. After reviewing her case, a study for CAR T-cell therapy was identified at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

A team of doctors were interested in Valery’s case for a clinical trial.

What is CAR T-Cell Therapy?

CAR T-cell therapy is a treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they attack cancer cells. T cells are taken from a patient’s blood. The gene for a special receptor, which binds to a specific protein on the patient’s cancer cells, is added to the T cells in the laboratory. This receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). A large number of these CAR T-cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion.

CAR T-cell therapies, and other antibody-based therapies, are used to target surface proteins found on leukemia cells. The goal is to improve outcomes for patients with blood cancers that do not respond to chemotherapy.

Removing Barriers

The family cried with joy after learning about the clinical trial.

CAR T-cell therapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant, was the best opportunity for long-term survival.

There were many barriers we helped remove in order to give Valery her chance at survival:

• Identify a Transplant Center in the U.S. for her bone marrow transplant
• Petition to get her accepted for the clinical trial at NIH in Bethesda, MD
• Support her application for a temporary humanitarian visa
• Arrange accommodations at NIH
• Arrange travel for the donor to transplant her blood stem cells

The first phase of the treatment, the CAR T-Cell therapy, was a success.

The Next Phase

Valery is doing great! She has been transferred to Nemours Children’s Health for her bone marrow transplant, which will happen in a few weeks.

The Foundation assisted with the arrival of her donor, Valery’s younger sister.

She is a perfect match.

We have been in constant contact with the family and continue to support them with logistical and emotional needs on their journey to a cure.

We are grateful for the amazing medical teams that are caring for Valery and her family.

Please consider making a donation and help us remove barriers for more patients like Valery.

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Written by: Bret Itskowitch

The Icla da Silva Foundation removes barriers to treatment for bone marrow patients. Some of these barriers may seem less consequential, but to the mother of a patient with blood cancer, any support can make a world of difference.

We were recently introduced to Josephine and her 13-year-old son Nathaniel by a social worker at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Nathaniel was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. His only cure was a matching bine marrow transplant.

Fortunately for Nathaniel, his little brother was identified as a matching donor and he is receiving a transplant.

But his mother Josephine had another barrier. As a single mom with two children, she needed to afford someone to watch her younger child so she could be with Nathaniel during his treatment after the transplant.

She couldn’t be in two places at once. This was her barrier.

The IclaCares program was able to help a mother fulfill an urgent need. We were able to remove her barrier in less than a week.

Our support enabled Josephine to place one of her challenges on the back burner, so she could focus on her son while he received his bone marrow transplant and treatment.

We were able to help Josephine and her family thanks to the support of our donors.

Please consider making a donation to help us support more patient families with urgent needs. Even a small donation can remove a barrier that isn’t often considered.

The Icla da Silva Foundation appreciates your support. We know patients like Josephine are extremely grateful.

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Written by: Bret Itskowitch