Israel: Israeli CML patients support and info organization

Member’s description

Our group was established in April 2001 with 5 members. we meet every month at a local hospital in Natanya and currently, we have about 100 members. Last year we have formed a nonprofit organization with a directing board. All the leading CML experts in Israel have appeared in front of our group, including dr Talpaz from the USA. We organize also field trips, for example to the laboratories of the hospital where they do PCR, fish, and cytogenetics, so every patient can see and understand his tests.

Audience/Constituency:

Around 50 members each meeting

Ways of communication with constituency:

About 60 % of our members have emails and get a monthly report, the others get a monthly report by mail.
We have recently finished our web site and are still working on translations of articles to Hebrew

Organizational objectives and key programs

1. to provide all Israeli CML patients with updated info regarding their disease, new medications, and clinical trials in and out of Israel.
2. to help patients with advice on how to deal with side effects from different medications, and to explain all the different tests done for CML
3. to advocate patients interests among politicians and decision-makers like getting Gleevec approved quickly.

Our key programs are:

1. to expand our member number so we can reach almost all of the estimated 400 CML patients in Israel. We would like every hematologist dr in Israel to send his patients to take a part in our activities
2. to help other cancer groups like gist for example with our experience.
3. to raise more donations, so we can offer our members social programs like organizing a CML awareness weekend at a local hotel