The Rafael Bernabeu Foundation social welfare programme consolidates its support for members of APSA so that they can use genetic diagnosis to conceive healthy children.

Parents' main aim in life is to ensure that their children are born healthy and that they, as parents, have the chance to ensure this happens. With this in mind, the Rafael Bernabeu Foundation makes its resources and research available so that people faced with health issues and also financial difficulties can try for children who are free of the illness they are carrying. The Rafael Bernabeu Foundation, Instituto Bernabeu's social wellness programme has, for many years, been offering preferential service when providing treatment for associations and social entities, including members of the Association in Support of the Mentally Ill of Alicante (Asociación Pro Discapacitados Psíquicos de Alicante, APSA). This link has become more consolidated and has increased through a collaboration agreement signed by the Foundation and APSA, the aim of which is to ensure that financial difficulties are not an obstacle when trying for a healthy family. The foundation provides members of ASPA with financial donations to an equivalent of 15% of the value of fertility treatment, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and associated tests which are carried out at Instituto Bernabeu. The aim is to ensure that children are not born with the disease that their parents are carrying and this was reflected in the agreement which Sóminca Bernabeu, the Foundation's representative, signed along with the head of APSA, Carlos Giner, at the association's headquarters.

"Since our company has its origins in Alicante, we feel we must help and provide support for those who need it. We have the technology and the knowledge to help and we can't just turn a blind eye”, explains Sómnica Bernabeu. Carlos Giner, head of ASPA, adds that "extending the collaboration agreement we have with Instituto Bernabeu means renewing the commitment which enables us to offer our members numerous financial advantages in fertility treatment or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis." He pointed out "the importance of this type of services for people who have some form of genetic disability and who wish to have children whilst ensuring that those children are healthy."

The commitment covers members' partners and immediate relations and can be carried out at the five Instituto Bernabeu clinics located in Alicante, Elche, Cartagena, Benidorm and Albacete. Over the years, the Rafael Bernabeu Foundation has helped ASPA members through donations which have frequently been for the full cost of the treatment. In 2015, the foundation donated 70,000 euros to assisted reproduction and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis treatment for patients with financial difficulties. A total of 29 women benefited from the donated treatment programmes.

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