By Samantha Margulies, age 17

I found my other sister!  At least, this is how I feel. In August 2005, my father David Margulies donated blood stem cells to a young, Greek girl named Marina who suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was almost a complete match for Marina, which is unusual because I never thought I was Greek! I have not met this now healthy, beautiful twelve-year old, yet I think about her all the time.

Gift of Life and my dad’s donation not only saved Marina’s life, but the experience has enhanced my family’s life in so many ways. Every person dreams of being a superhero and saving people’s lives- that’s my dad! 

I always knew I wanted to go into the medical profession, yet what would I specialize in? What did I have a never-ending passion for? After watching my dad’s process and how he was able to save a young cancer patient, I knew I wanted to be a part of this as well.  I am now determined to become a pediatric oncologist. 

I watched as my dad endured the side effects of the medications he had to take; I saw the actual process of retrieving the blood stem cells from his body; I rejoiced at both his recovery and hearing from Gift of Life and Marina’s family of how healthy she was becoming.  Through the entire process, I had used my senses, everything but touch. By becoming a pediatric oncologist, I would fulfill my want and need to actually handle situations similar to this one, instead of simply being a bystander.

For many months, we have kept in contact with Marina and her family. We’ve heard about birthdays, her brother and parents, her friends, and how she loves to smile. She also sends us pictures that she draws, including one that says “Smile” on it. Having a child who has survived cancer draw a picture with that one word really puts everything into perspective. This picture is now the background on my computer’s desktop- to remind me that smiling is the most important gift we can give one another.