by Sarah Cohen
On January 27, 2008 the Riverdale Jewish community turned back the clock at a luncheon. It has been five years since families of the Riverdale community joined together in a life saving mission. They, along with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation organized a recruitment drive to find genetically matching bone marrow donors for Dr. Barry Mishkin, z”l, and Ruthie Spector. This drive received broad community participation even attracting people from outside the area. This drive alone added 2,000 new donors to the Gift of Life registry, which is now the largest North American Jewish bone marrow registry. Although no match was found at this drive for Ruthie Spector or Barry Mishkin, the Riverdale community’s efforts were not in vain. Out of this drive, an astounding 26 people went on to become bone marrow donors in order to facilitate life saving transplants to other patients around the world.
In recognition of this amazing accomplishment, Gift of Life hosted a donor appreciation luncheon on January 27 at the Riverdelight restaurant in Riverdale, NY. The luncheon was a wonderful opportunity to join together some of the donors from the Riverdale donor drive and their families. The event was attended by donors Judah Schorr, Bruce Solomon, Beth Kepets, Shira Landskroner-Eiger, Esther Kenner, Mitchell Posilkin, Robert Eppenstein and Avi Karesh.
Each of the donors had the opportunity to share their individual donation experiences.
Avi Karesh, a resident of Teaneck, NJ, is a financial planner working in Manhattan. He became a Gift of Life donor on September 24, 2007. “This was a humbling experience that will forever impact my life. I feel privileged to have participated in such an amazing experience” said Karesh.
Jay Feinberg, Founder and Executive Director of Gift of Life and himself a bone marrow transplant recipient, thanked the donors: “Your efforts are immeasurable and we thank you for all your efforts.” Nelly Stone, Donor Center Manager, explained that the donors are also giving these patients the hope they need to live.
An important moment at the luncheon came when it was announced that there would be three recipients meeting their anonymous life-saving donors for the first time at the annual Partners For Life Gala on May 15, 2008 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in front of a crowd of close to 800 guests, including Gift of Life donors, transplant recipients, volunteers, doctors, and financial supporters.