Annual NMDP Gala in New York Raises More Than $560,000, Enabling More Patients to Receive Life-Saving Cell Therapy
08 Mayo 2024 - 1:46PM
NMDPSM (formerly Be The Match®) hosted its annual gala in New York
on Thursday, May 2, raising critical funds that support patient
financial assistance and innovative cell therapy research to
improve post-transplant outcomes and expand access to treatment so
every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy. In 2023,
NMDP provided $5.5 million in grants to 2,600 patients and their
families in need of financial assistance.
The event, held at Cipriani 25 Broadway, celebrated NMDP’s
mission and the impact on 7,435 lives through cell therapy in 2023
for patients battling blood cancers and blood disorders—the most
ever facilitated by the organization in a single year. The event’s
presenting sponsor, Publicis Groupe and Publicis Media, continued
their long-standing support of NMDP.
One of the evening’s biggest highlights was when stem cell
transplant recipient Lisa Mottesi, 58, of New Jersey met her
life-saving donor, Pennsylvania resident Eric Burger, 50, for the
very first time after 16 years. In 2008, the wife and mom of three
young children became sick and visited a doctor thinking she had
bronchitis only to discover she had an aggressive form of leukemia
that doctors said would require a marrow or blood stem cell
transplant. Her doctors searched the NMDP Registry and found a
single match out of tens of millions of potential donors. Lisa said
of meeting her donor, Eric “I would not have seen my children grow
up had it not been for him. I am deeply grateful, and words cannot
begin to describe the magnitude of his act to save the life of
someone he didn’t even know.”
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is
available by clicking on this link.
“All of us at NMDP are honored to witness meetings like Lisa and
Eric’s” said Joy King, Chief Advancement Officer, NMDP. “The funds
we’ve raised in New York will bring us closer to achieving our
vision—a world where every patient can receive their life-saving
cell therapy.”
At the event, NMDP also paid tribute to Academy Award®-nominated
and Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman, the director of the
documentary American Symphony. In collaboration with NMDP, Memorial
Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Higher Ground, Heineman helped
launch the American Symphony: Become a Lifesaver campaign late last
year. The campaign encouraged more people to join the registry,
volunteer and donate funds to help patients and families in
need.
NMDP was also proud to recognize AstraZeneca with the 2024 NMDP
Corporate Leadership Award for their multi-faceted support of their
life-saving mission. AstraZeneca has contributed generously through
collaborative and philanthropic initiatives over the past several
years. “AstraZeneca is proud to be a long-standing supporter of
NMDP’s life-saving work. We encourage everyone to get involved
with their important mission—be it through joining the registry,
volunteering, or attending an event. Let’s come together to
support NMDP and the blood cancer community,” said Nilsa Sanchez,
Vice President of Hematology Franchise for U.S. Oncology,
AstraZeneca.
Finally, this year’s honorary chairs, Make Me Stronger
Foundation, remind us of the importance of connecting with and
uplifting the communities we serve. The Make Me Stronger Foundation
started by adding thousands of potential donors to the registry in
support of their close friend, Sameer Bhatia’s, battle with acute
myeloid leukemia. It has since expanded to an inaugural grant of
$75,000 that directly aids pre-transplant patients facing financial
hardships, ensuring they have access to life-saving blood stem cell
transplants. “Knowing all the barriers on a journey to healing, the
financial barrier is one we can collectively eliminate and give
families more time together," said Ekata Doshi, Make Me Stronger
founding member and leukemia warrior.
Thanks in part to fundraising, NMDP has made monumental strides
in accelerating progress and expanding access to treatment. The
organization recently unveiled breakthrough research that will
allow more patients with blood cancer or blood disorders to receive
life-saving cell therapy.
About NMDPSM
At NMDPSM, we believe each of us holds the key to curing blood
cancers and disorders. As a global nonprofit leader in cell
therapy, NMDP creates essential connections between researchers and
supporters to inspire action and accelerate innovation to find
life-saving cures. With the help of blood stem cell donors from the
world’s most diverse registry and our extensive network of
transplant partners, physicians and caregivers, we’re expanding
access to treatment so that every patient can receive their
life-saving cell therapy. NMDP. Find cures. Save lives.
Contact:Erin
BixNMDP917-204-6355ebix@nmdp.org