Throughout October, we walked in support of approximately 10,000 people who are diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers each year. Half of these people will not receive lifesaving transplants, and that is unacceptable. Thanks to our recent Walk for Life events, held at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY; Hains Point in Washington, DC; and Saddle River County Park in Paramus, NJ, this number will shrink.
Becoming a donor is easy, requiring just a swab of cells from inside the cheek. In a perfect world, the cost for adding potential donors to the registry would end with a cotton swab. Unfortunately, processing each donor registration incurs a $60 lab fee. All funds raised through Walk for Life events will be used to underwrite these processing costs. To date, the Walk for Life series has added over 5,200 donors to the registry and found matches for over 80 patients in need. With more donors in the registry, more patients will find their miracle matches, receiving transplants to survive life-threatening illnesses.
The Long Island Walk, held on October 11, got off to a heartwarming start when transplant survivors, now cancer-free, and former donors joined one another on stage. Emotions escalated as Eileen met her donor Brittany for the first time. Eileen described getting her diagnosis of AML: “It felt like I was hit by a freight train.” And continued, “Nobody signs up for this. When you beat it and you’re in remission, you feel like you won, but you always have to be a fighter with this.” Eileen was referring to a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease in 1981 that she had to go through extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments to conquer. So, she has essentially been given a third chance at life by Brittany, whose father passed away from an infection after battling blood cancer himself. Brittany wished she and her younger brother had the chance to get to know their father. Upon meeting Eileen, she said, “The fact that I was able to give her more time…in a way, my wish has come true.”
The second walk of the month took place on October 18 in DC. With William Begal, Gift of Life’s Chairman of the Board, doing introductions and Emmy Award-winning reporter Chris Gordon hosting, this event was one to remember. The featured donor and recipient’s first time meeting was just as emotional. Carlos, father of seven-year old recipient Phineas, choked up while expressing his thanks to donor Ashley Lowe. He ended saying, “There’s not enough time or words to tell you how much it means to us.” Humbly, Ashley responded, “Two years ago now, I donated, and I honestly think about you and him every single day and just hope that Phineas is getting healthier and stronger.”
Our final walk of the Northeast tour landed on the next Sunday—October 25—in NJ. During introductions, Gift of Life COO/CFO Gregg Francis invoked the late executive director of Jewish Family and Children Services of Monmouth County, Mel Cohen. A beloved resident of Ocean, NJ, Mel served for 30 years, and this walk was dedicated to him. Gregg also tipped his hat to six-year-old Ezra Fineman, a two-time transplant recipient who had the largest team, all dressed in purple shirts. The crowd anxiously listened as Gregg called ten-year-old bone marrow recipient Gabrielle on stage with her parents and sister. Earlier that morning, she said, “I’ve never met or seen him before. All I want to say is thank you for saving my life.” Her donor, Ari, was filled with a million different emotions upon learning that he was a match for Gabby and excited to have the opportunity to help someone in need.
Gift of Life will continue to hold Walk for Life events in 2016, in locations throughout the United States. Come join in on the fun and help raise funds for donor testing in a city near you! The next walk will be held on January 17, 2016, in Boca Raton, FL, on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. For more information call Gift of Life at 800-9MARROW.
