Dr. Mariana Silva (2nd from right) and family
Leaving a legacy in your will can help fund important long-term projects that will make a deep and meaningful impact on many people’s lives. The Silva family is feeling immense satisfaction knowing their mother, Dr. Mariana Silva, made POGO a beneficiary in her will and that her life’s work will continue.
“Our mother dedicated most of her adult life to advancing care for children with cancer,” says Tomas Silva. “It was her desire that the work she started in life would continue long into the future. It is comforting to know that through this gift, the impact she made as a committed pediatrician and passionate hematologist and oncologist will continue for years to come.”
Dr. Mariana Pradier Silva, 1958-2021
For more than three decades, Dr. Silva made a significant impact on children and youth with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and their families in many ways, including through her participation on the POGO Board of Directors and POGO’s clinical initiatives across Ontario. A true champion of childhood cancer care, Dr. Silva was instrumental in the development and implementation of the POGO Provincial Pediatric Oncology AfterCare Program and was a key representative on several initiatives to improve equitable access to care for kids with cancer around the world.
Including POGO in your will
POGO’s mission is to achieve the best childhood cancer care system for children, youth, their families and survivors in Ontario and beyond. As a charitable organization, POGO relies on donations and government funding to run trusted programs and services, many of which have been adopted or modelled nationally and internationally across various areas of care. We are humbled that supporters like the Silva family are now taking their contributions one step further by including POGO in their estate plans and wills.
When to start planning legacy giving
Experts say it’s a good idea to update your will after any significant life event, such as a birth, divorce, death or change to your financial status. Without estate planning, you will not be able to influence how, when and to whom your assets will be distributed after you die. Creating a will is your opportunity to leave a legacy to beloved family and friends and the causes you have respected and supported during your life.
Leaving a legacy gift to POGO, when just a small percentage can have a significant impact, is an invaluable way to make an ongoing and meaningful contribution to childhood cancer care. Charitable bequests also have tax benefits for your estate, which ultimately help other beneficiaries.
If you’re interested in learning more about leaving a legacy gift to POGO, contact us at legacygiving@pogo.ca.
Leave a Legacy Month (May) is a community-based public awareness campaign that encourages people to leave a gift through their will or another planned giving vehicle to a charity or cause that is meaningful to them.
