Every year Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation and the New York Mets bring together a donor and recipient to meet for the first time with the support of their friends and family. This year was no different. Joe met Jason, the man who saved his life last Sunday at Citi Field.

 

Joe was diagnosed with a blood disorder called myelodysplasia in 2011. His diagnosis brought a great deal of stress and worry into his life, “most of my worries were about how my diagnosis and time away for treatment and transplant would affect my kids.” His difficult treatment was eased a great deal by his wife, Mindi. Mindi made the trip to visit Joe in the hospital every night after work then headed home to put their two young children to bed. The sacrifice was well worth it in the end. Joe is now more than a year post transplant and ready to continue living his life as he did before his diagnosis.

 

While leaving the gym on the Syracuse University campus his senior year of college, Jason stopped at a swabbing table to register with Gift of Life. Jason had not throught about his registration since that day in 2010 until he received a voicemail from Gift of Life and listened to it, a few times. He describes the initial phone call as “surreal” and was thrilled when he was told that he was in fact a match after his confirmatory typing. Jason was joined by his parents for the exciting opportunity to meet his recipient.

 

As Joe and his family waited patiently for his donor to enter the room, they could not fully imagine who their hero could be. While they waited, Joe commented to Jason’s parents that he hoped they realized the opportunities they have given him, referring to his two small children standing next to him on either side. Joe explained that he never thought about what his donor was like, only that he hoped they would be life-long friends after meeting.

 

Special Projects Coordinator, Ruth Miller said that thanks to Jason’s heroic actions, “two adorable children now have a father again.”