It isn’t every day you meet the stranger who saved your life, especially at a major league baseball game! But that is just what happened on June 26, 2025, as Gary Engler, a 67-year-old CPA and father from Los Angeles, met his stem cell transplant donor, Jonathan Wenger, a 24-year-old software engineer from New York City.
This special event occurred at Citi Field just before the first pitch of the New York Mets vs. the Colorado Rockies baseball game. Since 2004, the NY Mets have partnered with Gift of Life to give donors and recipients the memory of a lifetime for their first in-person meeting. Transplant regulations require anonymity for a year after transplant, so these occasions are emotional and heartwarming.
Since more than a year had already passed, Gary and Jonathan had exchanged a few emails, but being on opposite coasts made it difficult to arrange a meeting, so, with the help of the Mets, Gift of Life offered them the opportunity to get together face to face.
In an emotional private ceremony with their families present to share in the special moment, the two men greeted each other with a warm hug and huge smiles. Shortly afterward, they went down to the field to greet fans in the stands and, as the announcer shared their story and urged attendees to join the registry, the two men cheerfully waved from the largest scoreboard in professional sports.
In 2018, Gary’s doctor pointed out unusual bloodwork results during his annual exam; they repeated the test, and then a third time again to be certain. The numbers didn’t budge. Gary consulted a hematologist at UCLA, who gave him the frightening diagnosis of myelodysplastic disorder, a form of blood cancer. Fortunately, his condition was slow to progress, and an early check of the worldwide marrow registry database showed he had multiple volunteer donor matches available should he ever need a transplant.
Coincidentally, Jonathan, who was a high school junior at the DRS Yeshiva High School for Boys at the time, had joined Gift of Life’s registry in 2018 through the Dr. Michael Osband Senior Swab Program.
“At the time, I didn’t think much of it,” said Jonathan. “Looking back now and seeing the potential to save a life, with only a cheek swab needed to register, it was one of the lowest-risk/highest-reward situations I could ever encounter in my life.”
But Jonathan didn’t get his chance to donate until 2023, when Gary’s condition began to deteriorate, and he needed a transplant.
“I was on the subway home from my summer internship when I learned I was a match and would be able to help someone overcome cancer,” said Jonathan. “During the collection, which was like a long blood donation process, I participated in my college classes online, watched TV, called friends, took a nap, and ate a really good lunch. They took amazing care of me.”
After learning what Jonathan’s experience was like, Gary was impressed by his determination to help.
“My brother was also a match for me, but due to his age, the doctors preferred a younger donor,” said Gary. “It amazed me that Jonathan went through the whole process of giving his stem cells to save a total stranger. A donor aids someone they can’t even see, don’t know, and to whom they commit time for medical testing and the stem cell collection. Jonathan’s efforts on my behalf were unbelievably generous.”
The two men, who now share the same blood type and immune system, will continue to stay in touch and look forward to more visits in the future.
Jonathan, a resident of New York City, is a software engineer. He graduated from Yeshiva University and enjoys spending time with his family, playing drums and hitting the pickleball court.
Gary and his wife Elisabetta reside in Los Angeles and have two adult children. He works as a CPA, earned his MBA at the University of Arizona and an undergraduate degree in political science and economics at the Claremont McKenna College. Gary likes to play golf and travel.