The event was called “Celebrating Life”, and that is just what the sold out crowd of 350 young professionals gathered to do at the Taj Lounge in New York City on January 22nd.  The goal of the evening was to bring awareness to Gift of Life’s lifesaving mission and highlight opportunities to get involved.

 

Attendees enjoyed cocktails, food, entertainment, raffles and networking opportunities.  A swabbing station proved popular with over 100 people lining up to join Gift of Life’s registry of donors.  The highlight of the event was witnessing a once in a lifetime moment between two strangers- the introduction of a transplant survivor to her generous and selfless blood stem cell donor.

 

Jill, a 13 year breast cancer survivor, wife and mother of two adult sons, was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma-t cell type stage 4.  When she learned she would need a transplant to survive, her only thought was, “I just want to live.”  Her donor, 22 year old Jared, had joined Gift of Life’s registry in the summer of 2011 when a recruitment drive was held at his summer camp, Young Judaea in Amherst, New Hampshire.  Jared said that the opportunity to donate was, “a tremendous gift.”  He was so moved by his experience that he returned to the University of Maryland, where he is now a senior, passionate about organizing recruitment drives for Gift of Life.  Thanks to his efforts, over 700 new donors have joined the registry. 

 

As the pair embraced onstage for the first time, the enthusiastic crowd burst into excited applause and cheers.  An emotional Jill said, “My donor, a complete stranger, took time out of his own life to save mine.  He is my own personal hero.  Every cell in my body is his, and we are family now.”  She added, “No matter how bad a day he might have, he can always remember that he saved my life, and I will always be grateful.  I want him to know that every day, I will try to do something that will make him proud, that will make him know that he gave me a second chance to be kind and to help others.”  

 

Jared said that meeting Jill was, “a surreal experience.  I am blessed to be connected to Jill, a truly amazing woman.  I will forever be grateful for this evening.” 

 

This was Gift of Life’s first event targeting young professionals, and according to Ruth Miller, Community Outreach Manager, “It was our amazing and large committee that used their social networks to make this a sold out and successful night.  We had over 20 attendees who had donated bone marrow or blood stem cells themselves and this truly showcased the powerful, lifesaving potential of a simple cheek swab.”

 

Following the event, Jamie Segill, Co-Director of Camp Young Judaea, where Jared initially swabbed his cheek said, “It is so hard to put into words how I felt tonight.  It was beautiful, magical, surreal, moving- I could go on and on.  Gift of Life is such an incredible organization.”  She added, “Jared is so special.  He is the poster child for goodness in this world!”  Also in attendance was Ari Israel, Executive Director of University of Maryland Hillel and Jessica Lott, Director of Educational Networks at Hillel International, both of whom have worked directly with Jared during his donation experience and recruitment efforts.

 

Net proceeds from the event, gained through ticket sales, online donations and raffle ticket purchases will be used to underwrite the $60 laboratory cost associated with adding each new donor to the registry.  Every additional donor improves the chances that critically ill patients will find a matching donor and have the opportunity for a second chance at life through a transplant. To further support Celebrating Life please visit  www.giftoflife.org/dc/Celebrate.

 

View Photos of event by clicking here.