Bernard Weiner battled a blood cancer for 12 years but by then, the disease had progressed to the point that only one treatment option was left: He needed a bone marrow transplant to stay alive. He finally met his benefactor, Judah Berger, 22, of New York last week.

More than 700 miles away from Atlanta in Troy, Michigan, 70-year-old Bernard Weiner was running out of options in his battle with blood cancer. Fortunately, his perfect stem cell transplant match, Judah Berger, was already in the registry. The two met for the first time at Gift of Life Marrow Registry's Campus Ambassador Symposium.

Gift of Life Marrow donor Judah Berger met his transplant recipient Bernie Weiner for the first time at the Gift of Life Campus Ambassador Symposium at the Boca Raton Marriott on August 7, 2018.

Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) is celebrating a special chai benchmark- the 18th bone marrow transplant found and facilitated by the Gift of Life Marrow Registry from a member of the FJC Gift of Life donor circle. Through our partnership to grow the donor registry, one quick and painless act- swabbing your cheek to enter a public bone marrow and blood stem cell registry- can result in a match and a transplant for a child or adult suffering from a life-threatening illness.

The Gift of Life Marrow Registry, the international bone marrow registry that helps patients suffering from blood cancer, is relocating its headquarters within Boca Raton. The move in early 2019 will create about 20 new jobs, according to a company spokeswoman.

Traci Pruitt was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012. Doctors told her she needed to start treatment immediately. Her treatment included six rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Pruitt was an only child, so her hope resided in the bone marrow registry. "You worry. You wonder if you're going to find anybody," she said.