Sandra Ibarra is founder and President of the Sandra Ibarra Foundation for Solidarity Against Cancer (Fundación Sandra Ibarra de Solidaridad Frente al Cáncer), an NGO dedicated to award scholarships for cancer scientific research, developing prevention campaigns and social awareness.
Her current vocation is part of a personal story marked by self-improvement, in two occasions, when she suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 20, right when she was beginning her career as a model, and a relapse at age 27. Her experience, first as a patient and later as an activist fighting against cancer, helped her become an authentic reference to help others confront this disease, always from the supportive, optimistic, active and hopeful point of view.
Sandra’s work, which was presented by AECC, has been awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize in 2007. Moreover, the foundation she presides has been awarded other prizes such as the one granted by Fundación Puentes del Mundo a la ONG del año (an award given to best NGO of the year) in 2011, and the Premio Humanidades in the 7th edition of the Acenoma Awards (2009). Sandra Ibarra has also received the National Supportive Woman of the Year Award by FEMUR in 2010.
In 2012, she published a book, “Beads of Joy”, where she writes about the necessary debate asking if things pertaining cancer are being done correctly, while sending out a positive message full of hope.
Sandra Ibarra has studied Advertisement and Public Relations at Madrid’s Universidad Complutense, and is a member of the assessing committee of the Madrid Woman’s Week in what refers to health. She also performs as Supportive Ambassador of Peace for Dominican Republic and Haiti.