How often do you get a chance to say “thank you” to someone who saved your life?
My wife, Betsy, got that chance one year ago when she first met Tobias, the young man from Germany who donated stem cells to help her beat an aggressive form of Leukemia. Tobias was flown to Minneapolis for the first annual “Be the Match” Gala Fundraiser, which my wife co-chaired. It was a meeting we will never forget.
Be the Match is part of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a non-profit organization based in the Twin Cities, that touches lives around the world. Each year, the NMDP and the Be the Match Registry help coordinate thousands of bone marrow transplants for patients who are diagnosed with Leukemia and other life threatening diseases. For these patients, a bone marrow transplant is their last chance at life.
Before my experience with my wife, who had her bone marrow transplant a little more than four years ago, I had never heard of the NMDP, and I had no idea that they were based in Minnesota. Now I find myself in awe of the work that they do, and proud to have them as a part of this community.
On Wednesday, September 30, Be the Match will hold it’s second annual Gala celebration, this time to pay tribute to the United States Postal Service whose employees have saved more lives through marrow donation than any other business organization in the nation. If you are interested in attending the event or learning more about Be the Match you can the link here: http://bit.ly/18Unm3
The other way to support Be the Match is to join the more than 6 million people around the country who have registered to donate stem cells if they match a patient in need. It’s a simple process and you can learn how here: http://bit.ly/3Yactg
It’s hard to describe the impact that Be the Match had on my life. Without a transplant, my wife would have had only months to live. With the help of Be the Match, Betsy is now cancer free. We were overjoyed to meet Tobias a year ago, and we were honored when Tobias and his wife, Marleen, invited us to Germany earlier this year to attend their wedding. The wedding date, by coincidence, fell on our tenth wedding anniversary. There could not have been a better way to celebrate our marriage than to be with the person who gave us back our future.
I hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about Be the Match. You could be the one to make a difference for another family in need.
Sue,
You’re right. It was Rod’s daughter who had Leukemia and unfortunately died from complications.
Rod was actually the honoree at last year’s NMDP Gala. He has been a huge advocate for bone marrow donation and reaching out to minorities to join the registry. He has done incredible work and has touched a lot of lives. I have a tremendous amount of respect for his efforts and his leadership in this area.
Thanks for checking out the site!
Brian –
Great column. You made me check out the guidelines, but unfortunately, I’m ineligible. I first learned about the NMDP through a baseball connection, of course. I can’t remember the details, but a family member of Rod Carew needed a marrow transplant a few years back and his mission is to get more diversity into the donor base.
Brian,
Your wife is amazing. She inspired me to register with the NMDP. It is a very simple process……
That is an awesome and inspiring story, Brian.