James Daley of West Springfield, Mass., was thrilled to be invited to Fenway Park for the July 14 game between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals, where he would meet the man who saved his life. James did not know his Gift of Life stem cell donor Adam Natan, as transplant donors and recipients must remain anonymous for the first year. 

James, 64, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in January 2022 after several years of hospitalizations: H1N1 flu in 2019, pneumonia in 2020, and diverticulitis in 2021. During that last stay in the hospital, the attending doctor felt it was strange for a healthy man to have a string of illnesses like this and sent him to a cancer center for a bone marrow biopsy.

The results were initially unclear, but James’s health continued to decline, and when he could barely make it back up the hill while walking his dog, he saw his doctor again. In January 2022 James got the news: he was diagnosed with blood cancer.

“I thought I was going to die,” said James. “You immediately think about organizing your finances so that everyone in the family will be ok.” 

But his doctors had a more hopeful outlook: a blood stem cell transplant from a matching donor could save his life.  He received chemotherapy to keep the cancer at bay while the search was on.

“You’re like a plane that can’t land yet,” they told him. “We will keep you circling the airport while looking for your match.” 

That lifesaving match was already in Gift of Life’s registry: Adam Natan, a 32-year-old attorney from Miami, Fla.

Adam joined Gift of Life in 2013 during his Birthright Israel trip because he felt it was his opportunity to help someone else.

“My father, z”l, was an organ transplant recipient, so I got to see firsthand the effect a lifesaving donation can have,” said Adam. “Once you’ve been through a similar situation, you fully appreciate the impact your donation could have for the recipient and their family.”

Adam Natan is shown donating peripheral blood stem cells to save James's life. He previously donated to a different patient, a rare occurance since tissue type matches are difficult to find.

Tissue type matches between donors and recipients are rare, so Adam is unique in that he has donated to two different recipients!  He first donated to help a young man with leukemia in 2017, so when he learned he had matched a second patient, he was immediately aware of what was needed and happy to step up again.  

“My father was especially proud of me the first time I donated,” said Adam. “I know he would have been very proud of me for donating the second time.”

The transplant was a success, and now the moment arrived for Adam and James to meet each other.

Joined by Red Sox mascots Wally and Tessie, James came to the sideline of the field before the game. Gift of Life’s National Events Coordinator, Jody Greenspon, shared James’s story and told him a bit about how Adam came to be his donor, then welcomed Adam to join them.

After waiting more than a year to each meet the stranger they now have such a deep tie with, the two men shared a long, emotional hug, and James thanked Adam for saving his life. 

“It doesn’t matter to me that my transplant came from a stranger,” said James. “I was getting very intense chemo and wanted that stage of treatment to be over. Now I’m back to exercising, bike riding, weightlifting, and walking my dog – my energy is back.” 

“When I had the opportunity to donate and help turn a dark situation around for James, it was clear I had to do it,” said Adam. 

James also has advice for anyone who finds themself in his situation: “Don’t give up. I could have thrown in the towel, but I am blessed that Adam was found as my match.”

Adam is an attorney working in mergers and acquisitions. He’s a resident of Miami, Fla. where he enjoys biking and playing sports like soccer and basketball.  He is an alumnus of Rutgers University and earned his law degree at the Fordham University School of Law.

Thank you again to the Boston Red Sox for your ongoing support of our lifesaving mission.