M. Evan’s Second Fifth Birthday
Mar 22, 2013 by Gift of Life
News
In late 2006, M. Evan was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He said, “It felt like the world was coming to an end. Everything happened so quickly and it seemed like my life was spinning out of control.” He learned soon after that he would need a transplant from a total stranger to survive. As the donation date drew closer, M. Evan grew nervous but, “realized that I had no choice.”
M. Evan’s transplant took place at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ. Two years later, in 2011, M. Evan, his wife, Michele, and their children, Beth and Ross, had the incredible experience of meeting his blood stem cell donor, Shira, at Gift of Life’s Partners for Life Gala in New York. M. Evan said his donor is, “a very generous, beautiful, gracious, caring, and wonderful person. She gave me more time to live. She gave me that ability to see my children grow and to be with my wife.” He added, “I am very happy to be alive.”
Recently, M. Evan’s family celebrated his “second fifth birthday”, the five year anniversary of his transplant, an important milestone in any recipient’s life. Surrounded by family and friends who have supported him since his diagnosis seven years ago, the group gathered at M. Evan’s home to celebrate his health.
As part of the celebration, guests had the opportunity to join Gift of Life’s registry as potential donors. M. Evan’s daughter, Beth, ran the drive and said that, “everyone was thrilled that they had the opportunity to join and support my father.” Beth is also planning to encourage fellow students at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN to register as donors at a recruitment drive she will be spearheading on campus.
M. Evan said, “when one is confronted with the option of death versus life, it is important to know that there is a network of people who support someone they do not know or may never meet. Someone like myself. I am grateful for their generosity.” Michele explained, “Celebrating the positive is something very ingrained in M. Evan’s perspective, and a lesson that he and I hope to have taught our children. Confronting this illness and all of the choices that we have had to make really makes us think about the way we role model dealing with adversity to our children.”
Beth added, “I am constantly in awe of my father’s positive outlook and spirit. I’ve learned a lot in the past few years about the importance of staying positive and having a great sense of humor.”
