Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of inherited immune system disorders caused by a mutation in a gene that affects the immune system. These abnormalities lead to reduced or malfunctioning T- and B- lymphocytes, which are the specialized white blood cells made in the bone marrow that fight off infection.
Donating to a patient in need is a Cohen family affair. Dan and Stacey are a brother and sister duo who registered to be potential bone marrow donors at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack in 2006.
Donor recruitment drives are an integral part of Gift of Life. They directly impact the lives of patients around the world who are in need of bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants by improving their chances of finding suitably matched donors in the registry.
Michael Arnold, 3, was diagnosed with leukemia this past summer. He's been in and out of the hospital ever since. Chemotherapy is killing the cancer cells, but Michael needs a bone marrow transplant.
"The relationship between AEPi and the Gift of Life has been a point of pride for our organizations,” says Adam Teitelbaum, current Lorber Director of Jewish Programming and Philanthropy.