Celebrating 30 Years Saving Lives

NEW YORK - Nov. 21, 2022 - PRLog -- A bone marrow or cord blood transplant is necessary to treat more than 70 diseases. The majority of patients who require a bone marrow transplant suffer from blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, as well as aplastic anemia and sickle cell disease.

A life-threatening disease is never expected. It presents unthinkable challenges and unfortunately, there are many barriers to treatment.

Removing Barriers
Information is usually the first barrier. Patients are unfamiliar with their disease and unsure about all of the details related to treatment. Sometimes they just need to hear it again, in plain language. Just the concept of searching for a donor can be overwhelming to consider. Logistics are another barrier, whether trying to navigate our complex medical care system or understanding the various treatment options that may exist, patients need support.

The mission of The Icla da Silva Foundation is to save the lives of patients with diseases whose only cure is a bone marrow or cord blood transplant by providing emotional, logistical, and financial support to remove barriers to treatment.

The Foundation has been supporting bone marrow patients for 30 years.

Financial challenges represent another barrier to treatment. Through the Icla da Silva Foundation's Icla Cares program, we provide financial assistance to help cover costs that are related to treatment, but not covered by medical insurance.  These include transportation to receive treatment, housing expenses while patients are in treatment, HLA testing, and caregiver expenses.

In order to be eligible for assistance, patients must be in treatment for a bone marrow or cord blood transplant at a hospital or critical care center based in the United States. Priority for grants is given to patients who meet eligibility guidelines and demonstrate the greatest financial need.

Watch this brief video outlining the work that we do - https://youtu.be/EDbnpY8ljPc



As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of our financial donors. Please consider making a donation to help support our life-saving mission - https://icla.org/?form=FUNWNLDJESF

About Icla da Silva
The Icla da Silva Foundation was established in 1992, in memory of a 13-year-old Brazilian girl named Icla da Silva.

After two years of fighting leukemia, Icla passed away in New York City, where she came hoping to get her life-saving treatment: a bone marrow transplant.

A matching donor was never found.

After she passed, a note was found from Icla to her mom. She insisted that she was fine…and asked her family to help the friends she had made while waiting for a matching donor.

Twelve months after her passing, the Icla da Silva Foundation was formed to help patients in need of a bone marrow or cord blood transplant.