“What began as a naive attempt of kindness had unfolded into a lifesaving reality,” said Robin, following her bone marrow donation. She joined Gift of Life’s registry in the summer of 2006, at an SBH Top Gun tournament in New Jersey. Her journey with the organization resumed in 2013, when she was called to verify that she was still in good health and that all of her contact information was up-to-date.

 

Robin described the conversation as both “exhilarating” and “disappointing” because she had hoped it was a match call. Well, as fate would have it, she received that call just a few weeks later, having been identified as a possible donor for a one-year-old child suffering from a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder. Robin was confirmed as the best match and went on to complete her donation, with no issues. Her recipient, Juliette, has made a full recovery and is a busy and active child!

 

The pair met at Gift of Life’s NYC Young Professionals Event (“Celebrating Life”) on February 4 in New York City. Albert Liniado, founder of the Stella Liniado Rainbow Foundation, served as the Master of Ceremonies and made the introductions during this meeting. Coincidentally, the drive Robin registered at was the first sponsored by this foundation! It was an incredibly emotional experience for all involved. Juliette’s mother told us that her daughter is very bright for her age and, having met Robin, now views her as a hero.

 

Since her donation experience, Robin has been inspired to motivate others to join the registry. One of her peers, who inquired about her condition throughout the donation process, decided to register and he went on to donate a few months later. Robin has also run Gift of Life donor recruitment drives the past two summers, at her children’s camp in Pennsylvania.