Marrow donors meet recipients

The elegant World's Fair Marina Banquet Hall was the chosen venue to commemorate the &#8220Celebrating Life with a Smile” event hosted by both the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR).
On Sunday, July 23, 170 guests, consisting of social workers, politicians, city and state officials, among which were Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, an avid supporter of the Donor program, and Councilmember John Liu. Also present were prominent leaders of key organizations, and heads of community-based organizations gathered together to honor the service of the bone marrow donors while also rejoicing in the success of the recipients.
Although the event was mainly held for 7 donors and 3 recovered patients, the highlight of the afternoon occurred during the first time, emotional meeting between donor, Julia Pirani, and her recipient, Harshal Mehta. In response to the transplant, Mehta will be able to finish his schooling at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Nidha Mubdi, a Jamaica resident, was doubly blessed in that she received two transplants on two separate occasions. First, in 1999, Hemish Kapadia compassionately gave her the necessary bone marrow transplant. Later, it was discovered that Mubdi would also need a kidney transplant; Derek Ivery was fortunately present to assist the young girl. Since her transplants, Mubdi has recently graduated from Queens College and given a second chance to reach her dreams.
Born in Queens, Kapadia explained that he decided to become a bone marrow donor because, &#8220it is a chance to actually be part of a group that is dedicated to saving lives. Community groups, like SAMAR, assist in helping the recipient find a match, but also help the community in fulfilling their commitment to helping each other.”
Since 1992, SAMAR and the NMDP have worked together to provide the gift of life to patients diagnosed with leukemia and other fatal blood disorders. Currently, the NMDP has 6.2 million volunteer marrow donors, including 100,000 South Asians. Similarly, has recruited 60,000 volunteer marrow donors, facilitated 45 transplants, and worked with 150 patients. The NMDP has played an important role in South Asian donor recruitment assisting SAMAR to reach out to the community and raise awareness.
A major breakthrough within the organizations' mission occurred when Mrs. Rafiya Peerbhoy Khan, the founder of SAMAR, succeeded in extending the program to India, thus assisting in the establishment of an unrelated donor registry in Mumbai which will provide donors for patients in India and globally.