Dear ISCC Supporters and Friends,
At a time when our attention and efforts are more critical than ever for the children who receive our donations, we are forced to address a rumor circulating on social media about ISCC. We will briefly do so here, so that we can put it to rest and return to our work:
One version of this social media post misidentifies a woman voting in the recent election as Mrs. Fereshteh Tavakoli, one of the co-founders of ISCC. These posts, conveniently made by anonymous sources, attempt to suggest that ISCC or its members somehow have political involvement. This is false, a problematic and impossible accusation. ISCC is a charity and cannot be political in any way. Accordingly, it has not and never will be.
ISCC is an independent, non-political, non-religious charitable organization and has upheld that distinction year after year. Our leadership takes its responsibility to remain apolitical very seriously. Mrs. Tavakoli has devoted more than 30 years to ISCC and MAHAK, always as an unpaid volunteer. We serve extremely vulnerable children who rely on our aid; our team would never put this work in jeopardy with personal actions. These accusations are prosecutable slander and libel, and we will address them legally if needed.
To be crystal clear: the woman in the photo is not affiliated with ISCC in any way. While we do not know the motivation for these postings, ISCC’s strong reputation speaks for itself: our work has led to an NGO partnership network now spanning nearly a dozen countries, serving children with cancer worldwide, including but not limited to our key partnership with the independent Mahak Hospital in Iran.
ISCC improves the lives of cancer-stricken children and their families by providing access to the highest quality medical care possible. For years, your generous donations have assured that these families can enjoy hope and compassionate care, regardless of their financial ability to pay for necessary treatments. Together, we are successfully working toward our greater vision of reducing the cancer mortality rate for impoverished children.
Even during this unprecedented pandemic, thanks to your support, MAHAK has been able to continue providing these life-saving services to its young patients, including continuously sending needed medications to the underprivileged children of Iran.
Let us not forget: these children who were already suffering cancer are now highly vulnerable to COVID as well. This confusing social media campaign is unfounded and cruel to these patients at a time when they need our help more than ever.
We do not intend to spend more time on this rumor, as we have more important work to do. While we wish that we did not have to stoop to address the posts, we hope that hearing from us will remind you that your partnership is valued and never more critical than it is now.
This year, we will continue growing ISCC with the dedication of our volunteers and supporters and look forward to sharing exciting updates and of course celebrating with you at our beloved in-person events as soon as it is safe and healthy to do so. Until then, should you have any questions about how you can become more involved ISCC, or if you have any questions or concerns, we are always available to you. Please visit iscc-charity.org, email us at susan@iscc-charity.org, or call our office at (949) 679-9911.
ISCC has and always will be an open book, ever flourishing thanks to your love, support, and involvement.
With gratitude,
International Society for Children with Cancer (ISCC)
