Leslie Lance

“My donor knew nothing about me, except that I was a 24 year-old and if I didn’t get her cells quick I wasn’t going to make it. God called her to give to me. And because she was faithful I have life. I can’t explain how grateful we are to her”, said Leslie Lance moments before meeting her donor for the first time.

Leslie Lance, 28, survived leukemia thanks to a bone marrow transplant. Leslie and her family will be forever thankful to her donor, Carmen Colom, who joined the Be The Match Registry during one of The Icla da Silva Foundation’s marrow drives in Puerto Rico.

Rachell Souza

Rachell Souza, 9, wants to be a veterinarian. She lives with her family in Brazil and survived severe plastic anemia due to a bone marrow transplant.

Rachell made her first trip abroad in September 2008. She came with her mother Izabel Veras from Brazil to New York City to meet a fellow Brazilian, the builder Jefferson Araújo, 27. It was a very special meeting, as Mr. Araújo is the bone marrow donor who’s saved Rachell’s life.

Rachell met her donor for the first time during The Icla da Silva Foundation’s Fundraising Dinner. It was an overwhelming night. “I’m very thankful to God, that gave me this opportunity. Saving your life was the most important thing I’ve ever done”, said Mr. Araújo, who joined the Be The Match Registry during one of the foundation’s marrow drives in Boston, MA.

Cord Blood Transplant Saves Jennifer Jones Austin

Jennifer Jones Austin, 42, is a mother of two who’s survived leukemia. Shortly after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, and learning that without a bone marrow transplant her chances of survival were very slim, Jennifer’s family contacted The Icla da Silva Foundation.

They needed support and help to find her a compatible bone marrow donor in the national registry.

In just two months, Jennifer’s relatives and friends, supported by The Icla da Silva Foundation, organized more than 200 marrow drives and managed to add the astonishing number of 13,000 new potential donors to the registry. Jennifer didn’t find a match, but the campaigns organized on her name have given hope to thousand of patients in need, especially those within the African American community.

Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Enjoys Life After Transplant and Looks Forward to College

Eight years ago, seventeen-year-old Eduardo Ramirez from Salinas, California almost had his life taken by leukemia. Today, he is celebrating almost five years cancer free, thanks to his life saving marrow transplant. He is enjoying life; playing soccer with his friends, dating a beautiful girl, and looking forward to attending the University of California-- Berkeley in the fall. 

Marrow Transplant Recipient Met His Life-Saving Donor at The Icla da Silva Foundation's 16th Annual Fundraising Dinner & Dance

New York, October 3, 2008.  It was an emotional moment when marrow recipient and now former non-hodgkins patient, Mr. Robert Jewell, from Cheasepeake, Virginia met for the first time his life-saving marrow donor, Romery Granado from the Bronx, New York.

This emotional meeting took place at The Icla da Silva Foundation's 16th Anniversary Dinner & Dance on September 24, 2008 at the Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York City.

Leukemia Survivor Speaks to Over 200 Guests at The Icla da Silva Foundation Annual Fundraising Awards Reception

Over 200 guests, including patients, supporters, consul generals, doctors and members of the business community, attended The Icla da Silva Foundation Annual Fundraising Awards Reception last September 30, 2004. Melissa Rozon, leukemia survivor, spoke about her experience and how the Foundation was a great support to her.

The Icla da Silva Foundation Helps Honduras Patient Reunite With His Family

Daniel Menjivar is a 15-year-old boy from Honduras and he is currently being treated at John Hopkins in Baltimore of Graft-versus-host disease as a result of a complication from a bone marrow transplant.

It has been six years since the last time that Daniel has seen his siblings. Most recently, both his father and three other siblings received the visa to come to the United States with the help of the Foundation.

The family has been split apart for the last seven years and they should be together to help in Daniel’s recovery.

Leukemia Patient Shares her Story and Requests Help to Find a Compatible Marrow Donor

Caroline Clark is 21 and has Leukemia.  She was attending her last year in college when she found out that she had leukemia.  After her first complete month of hospitalization, she was told that the only thing that could potentially cure her fatal disease was a bone marrow transplant. Both of her parents and  two sisters were tested, but none were anywhere near of being a close match for a safe transplant. “I thought my options were closed and that I had to accept my fate,” said Caroline.

Leukemia Survivor Meets Her Bone Marrow Donor for the Very First Time

On Wednesday, November 12, 2003, Elizabeth Howarth, 18, of Ohio, had her first opportunity to thank Sandra Fernandez, 37, of New York City for donating the “Gift of Life” that saved her life. 

Although they had never met, Elizabeth Howarth has been kept alive by healthy stem cells that were donated by Sandra Fernandez.

Sandra joined the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry at a bone marrow drive organized by The Icla da Silva Foundation at her church in 1996.  The drive was for a young Hispanic girl from New York who was suffering with leukemia. “I felt I could make a difference in someone's life,” she recalled.