- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,183
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 0
How do you thank a person who saved your life?
That is a question that has been running through Stuntman Stu Schwartz’s mind for months since he learned he would be meeting his anonymous bone marrow donor for the first time.
Schwartz, a Majic 100 morning radio host and Ottawa Senators home game announcer, was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2016 and after aggressive treatment, he learned he would need a bone-marrow transplant within three months. After an exhaustive search locally and nationally for a donor, his medical team reached out to Ezer Mizion, a not-for-profit organization that manages the largest international Jewish bone marrow registry and found a match that May.
On Monday morning, Schwartz had the opportunity to say thank you to David Levi, 50, who was flown in from Israel by the organization to meet the man he helped. Standing with his wife, Connie Consuelo Bernardi, and his two children, Matteo and Isabella, Schwartz waited with intense anticipation. When Levi got off the elevator at the Ottawa International Airport arrivals floor, the two men — who had never met but now share DNA — immediately embraced.
“Thank you,” Schwartz said, tearing up. “Thank you.”
He then turned around and announced to the crowd of supporters and media: “This is the man who saved my life.”
Stuntman Stu Swchartz, right, meets his bone marrow donor, David Levi of Israel at the Ottawa airport. Photo by Wayne Cuddington/ Postmedia
Levi, who also has two children, was in the Israeli army when he was younger and provided a swab sample to the Ezer Mizion registry, which has a partnership with the army. Several years later he received the call to donate.
As the two spoke during the emotional meeting with their families, Schwartz’s mother, Luba, could not suppress her appreciation.
“Thank you. You gave me back my son,” she said crying. “You gave me back my son.”
But Levi, humbled by the moment, said his involvement was “nothing” compared with the difficult medical journey Schwartz endured. “This is something great. It is unbelievable that it has happened,” he said.
Schwartz will be spending the next couple of days with Levi and his family and hosting them at the Ottawa Senators game on Tuesday in owner Eugene Melnyk’s suite, the first time Levi will see a live hockey game.
Dena Bensalmon, director of ?Ezer Mizion’s Canadian operations, said the goal of the organization is to build the pool of donors. At this point, if someone needs a transplant, they have a 76 per cent chance of getting a match right away.
“Our goal is to fill the pool so much that anybody that needs a transplant can get one right away,” said Bensalmon. “We’ve done transplants all over the world.”
During treatment, Schwartz — who describes himself as cancer-free and getting better, with around 75 per cent strength — used his voice to raise awareness around leukemia and started the campaign #stustrong, which has raised over $300,000 for leukemia and stem cell research at The Ottawa Hospital. Now he has created a special donor pool for the Ezer Mizion organization, too.
“One of the amazing things that Stu has done for our organization is he has created his own donor pool, so if people are interested in helping Stu fill his pool, they can go online to his website.”
Asked how he felt when he first saw Levi, Schwartz said the connection was “instant”
“You can see someone’s soul through their eyes. And the minute I looked straight at (his) face it just hit me. Because he’s running through me … To meet David today, a day that I’ve been waiting for, for two years, it doesn’t seem like a long time but it’s a lifetime.
To know that he’s given me life so I can enjoy my kids’ lives and I can (see) what the road lies ahead is so gratifying. I’ll never forget this moment.”
查看原文...
That is a question that has been running through Stuntman Stu Schwartz’s mind for months since he learned he would be meeting his anonymous bone marrow donor for the first time.
Schwartz, a Majic 100 morning radio host and Ottawa Senators home game announcer, was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2016 and after aggressive treatment, he learned he would need a bone-marrow transplant within three months. After an exhaustive search locally and nationally for a donor, his medical team reached out to Ezer Mizion, a not-for-profit organization that manages the largest international Jewish bone marrow registry and found a match that May.
On Monday morning, Schwartz had the opportunity to say thank you to David Levi, 50, who was flown in from Israel by the organization to meet the man he helped. Standing with his wife, Connie Consuelo Bernardi, and his two children, Matteo and Isabella, Schwartz waited with intense anticipation. When Levi got off the elevator at the Ottawa International Airport arrivals floor, the two men — who had never met but now share DNA — immediately embraced.
“Thank you,” Schwartz said, tearing up. “Thank you.”
He then turned around and announced to the crowd of supporters and media: “This is the man who saved my life.”
Stuntman Stu Swchartz, right, meets his bone marrow donor, David Levi of Israel at the Ottawa airport. Photo by Wayne Cuddington/ Postmedia
Levi, who also has two children, was in the Israeli army when he was younger and provided a swab sample to the Ezer Mizion registry, which has a partnership with the army. Several years later he received the call to donate.
As the two spoke during the emotional meeting with their families, Schwartz’s mother, Luba, could not suppress her appreciation.
“Thank you. You gave me back my son,” she said crying. “You gave me back my son.”
But Levi, humbled by the moment, said his involvement was “nothing” compared with the difficult medical journey Schwartz endured. “This is something great. It is unbelievable that it has happened,” he said.
Schwartz will be spending the next couple of days with Levi and his family and hosting them at the Ottawa Senators game on Tuesday in owner Eugene Melnyk’s suite, the first time Levi will see a live hockey game.
Dena Bensalmon, director of ?Ezer Mizion’s Canadian operations, said the goal of the organization is to build the pool of donors. At this point, if someone needs a transplant, they have a 76 per cent chance of getting a match right away.
“Our goal is to fill the pool so much that anybody that needs a transplant can get one right away,” said Bensalmon. “We’ve done transplants all over the world.”
During treatment, Schwartz — who describes himself as cancer-free and getting better, with around 75 per cent strength — used his voice to raise awareness around leukemia and started the campaign #stustrong, which has raised over $300,000 for leukemia and stem cell research at The Ottawa Hospital. Now he has created a special donor pool for the Ezer Mizion organization, too.
“One of the amazing things that Stu has done for our organization is he has created his own donor pool, so if people are interested in helping Stu fill his pool, they can go online to his website.”
Asked how he felt when he first saw Levi, Schwartz said the connection was “instant”
“You can see someone’s soul through their eyes. And the minute I looked straight at (his) face it just hit me. Because he’s running through me … To meet David today, a day that I’ve been waiting for, for two years, it doesn’t seem like a long time but it’s a lifetime.
To know that he’s given me life so I can enjoy my kids’ lives and I can (see) what the road lies ahead is so gratifying. I’ll never forget this moment.”
查看原文...
