Switzerland: SFK – Stiftung zur Förderung der Knochenmarktransplantation = Foundation for Advancement of Bone Marrow Transplantation

Member’s description

In 1994 Candy Heberlein founded the SFK-Foundation after having experienced losses in her family. More and more patients approached her to seek advice. It became evident that we have to move closer to the patients, unite them in their region. Thus she formed patient groups in seven cities/regions of Switzerland. Each group assembles monthly. Over the past years, she was able to shape a stable network for leukaemia- and myeloma patients. After the death of Candy Heberlein in 2021 the board of the Foundation will continue her life’s work.

Organizational objectives and key programs

Audience/Constituency:

Patients with blood stem cell diseases and their relatives.

Our organizational objectives are:

• Providing patients afflicted with cancer in bone marrow (as CML) with information.
• Monthly meeting of self-help groups (due to COVID at the moment only “online”.) Annual gatherings of all patient groups in summer and others around Christmas (400 patients and their partners) if the COVID-19 situation allows it.
• Publication of information brochures. In the future also available online Every two years: promotion of research projects by an awarding prize

Our key programs are:

• Monthly personal meeting of patient groups (at the moment only “online”
• Medical News on Website