La Fe Health Research Institute receives a charitable legacy that will boost research on high-risk neuroblastoma

La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) has received a donation of €40,000 from the inheritance of José Sánchez Gandía, a resident of Villena (Alicante) who passed away in early 2024 due to cancer. In his will, José Sánchez Gandía expressed his wish for part of his inheritance to support children's cancer research.

Thanks to this donation, IIS La Fe will launch the "Pepe Sánchez Scholarship for the Present and Future of Children's Cancer Research," which will fund two high-risk neuroblastoma research projects. These projects are led by Dr. Jaime Font de Mora and predoctoral researcher Nuria Martínez.

The donation received by IIS La Fe will fund both studies, thanks to the creation of the "Pepe Sánchez Scholarship for the Present and Future of Children's Cancer Research." This initiative symbolizes the continuation of the fight against children's cancer, supporting both established researchers and emerging talents in the field. The initial scholarship fund is €40,000, and in the future, an online fundraising campaign will be launched to increase its endowment.

Dr. Jaime Font de Mora, a researcher with an outstanding career, will focus his study on the development of a new drug against MYC oncoproteins, which are responsible for more than 50% of cancers. Meanwhile, Nuria Martínez will investigate the molecular mechanisms that create an immunosuppressive microenvironment in neuroblastomas.

The inheritance of María Jordá, the first charitable legacy for IIS La Fe

In 2017, IIS La Fe received the inheritance of María Jordá Sanz, a Valencian seamstress who, by express wish, stipulated that her assets be allocated to support the research carried out by the center in oncology and cardiology. This was the first legacy of this kind received by IIS La Fe in its history.

Thanks to this donation, IIS La Fe launched the "María Jordá Sanz Grants for Oncology and Cardiology Research" in 2024. This program is funding five projects aimed at generating basic and translational scientific research in the fields of oncology and cardiology among IIS La Fe groups, as well as fulfilling the will of the Valencian seamstress. A new edition of the María Jordá Sanz Grants was launched in November 2024.

Some facts about charitable wills

According to the study by the 'Haztestamentosolidario.org' platform, in 2023, non-profit organizations like IIS La Fe received a total of €54 million. Increasingly, legacies are being directed towards research, seen as an opportunity to help patients specifically and to improve people's lives in general.

Making a charitable will does not require having a large fortune or excluding legitimate heirs. Furthermore, charitable organizations do not pay inheritance taxes on legacies, and everything they receive is fully transformed into impactful projects.