For any donor, learning that he or she is a match for an eight-month-old baby in need of a transplant would be a moving and fulfilling experience. For Aharon, who, together with his wife, Chayah, was expecting the arrival of their first baby boy within a few short months, it was even more meaningful. Aharon said, “I could only imagine the joy of the parents upon learning that their baby would be given the opportunity to be able to live a fulfilling life.”
Aharon joined Gift of Life’s registry at Yeshiva Ohr Hameir in Peekskill, NY five years ago. He was intrigued by the opportunity to potentially save a life starting with a simple cheek swab. When he learned he was a match, he was not only excited, but felt fortunate himself. “After all,” he said, “he who saves one life is as if he saved the entire world!”
After learning about the donation process, Aharon and Chayah did not hesitate to proceed with the donation, though they were concerned about the schedule with her due date approaching. The bone marrow collection took place just three weeks after their son, Avi was born. Aharon said, “I was greatly supported by my family while I recovered, but it was also a sacrifice for my wife, who had just given birth and had a newborn to take care of.”
Aharon explained, “Knowing that I was saving the life of a child at the same time that we were expecting a child of our own gave a lot of meaning to both experiences. As we imagined what it would be like once we had our child, we began to think of what it was like for the parents of this sick baby. How they must have worried and hoped that their child would grow up as the healthy child they had imagined during the nine months that they anticipated his arrival. How much more do we now understand and appreciate both joys that we have brought upon the world, our newborn son and a renewed chance at life for a concerned family. True gifts of life indeed. How we hope that it will be a merit for our own family.”
Twenty-four-year-old Aharon lives with his family in Lakewood, NJ.