We recently published an article on our blog about a brave
young man, Taylor Crampton, who was on a Birthright Israel: Mayanot trip in 2009 and joined the Gift of
Life Bone Marrow Registry and was called on to save a life. On February 8,
2016, Taylor donated bone marrow to a 44 year old female with Severe Aplastic
Anemia. When asked if he would like to meet his recipient, he said, “if ever
she was up to it, it would be my pleasure and honor to meet her”. Unfortunatly,
most donors don’t get the chance to meet the recipients of their marrow
donation.
We, at Mayanot, had no idea that so soon after we published
that article, we would have the opportunity to witness a donor from another
Mayanot trip and his marrow recipient, meet for the first time here in
Jerusalem.
At the recent Birthright Israel Seminar, held at the Tel
Aviv Stock Exchange this past October, a recognition seminar took
place in memory of JJ Greenberg. Gift of Life gave a presentation
with the intention of encouraging tour educators to develop a greater awareness
and become more involved, as well as help more participants get into the
registry. The highlight of the event was that the organizers flew in a donor
from the U.S. to meet with the recipient of his marrow transplant, for the
first time.
Etty Barzelai, a 57 year old women from Ramat Aviv, a
wife & mother, practicing lawyer and
trained anesthesiologist, was diagnosed on Feb 20th, 2013 with acute leukemia,
and as she says, “I was reborn on the 1st of April 2014 when I
received my bone marrow transplant”.
Peter Schottenfels, was on a Birthright Israel: Mayanot trip
a few years ago and at a Birthright Mega Event at the Sultans Pool, in
Jerusalem, there was an opportunity for participants to join the Bone Marrow
Registry and potentially save a life. Peter decided to get his cheek swabbed!
After finally meeting her hero, Etty proudly stated, “I got
a second chance at life, there are not many opportunities like this during our
lifetimes and I am grateful to all the generous people who enabled it. The
wonderful people of Gift of Life and of Birthright Israel who are
doing a holy job, in my opinion. They are responsible for these amazing initiatives;
thank you does not begin to express my gratitude”.
Jay Feinberg, founder of the Gift of Life Bone
Marrow Registry, who is a 21 year recipient of a bone marrow donation himself,
told of how he began this life saving initiative.
He shared that when he was diagnosed, he was told by his
doctors that he had no chance of receiving a transplant because, “he was
Jewish.” It was explained to him that because genetic matches are best found
with people of similar ethnic backgrounds, and there just weren’t many Jews in
the global registry. It would be like “finding a needle in a haystack” for him
to find his match.
Thank G-d he decided not to give up and began his 4 year
search, running drives throughout the United States. Not only did Jay find his
match, but his courage and can-do attitude initiated a project that has since
saved countless lives, including Etty’s.
Charles Brofman, founder of Birthright Israel,
saw an opportunity to present participants with a way to give back for the gift
that they were given, of experiencing Israel. As a way to instill Jewish
values, a sense of community and shared responsibility, as well as the occasion
to perform this incredible mitzvah of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life)
this partnership began, over ten years ago and will hopefully continue for many
years to come.
Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, Dean of the Mayanot Institute
of Jewish Studies commented, “There is no question that this project is
priority number one for our groups. As the Talmud states, whoever saves one
life, it’s as if they have saved an entire world”.
Danny Sack, director of the Mayanot Birthright
division, and Shmulik Israel of Jewish Journey, under the
leadership of Arnon Katz, have been a driving force, pulling this
initiative together over the years and continuing to make this opportunity a
part of the Mayanot Israel program.
The same way Jay Feinberg and Etty Barzelai were hoping for
a miracle to find their matches. Now there is someone else that is in the same
situation and needs our help. Adam is a husband and father of three and
has yet to find his match. We are doing all we can to give our participants an
opportunity to join the registry but if you are still wondering if you should
join, we hope this moving video and compelling story has helped you realize
that you too can save a life, to find out how, click here.
#Hope4Adam
(From Left: Peter Schottenfels & Danny Sack)
Mayanot is a proud partner of Gift of Life
#SavingLivesTogether www.mayanot.edu
To Read about Taylor Crampton, click here.