Murray Foltyn, 41, a devoted husband and father of two young children, is fighting Myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer that affects the bone marrow. He urgently needs a matching blood stem cell donor to undergo a transplant, which is his best hope of a cure. Unfortunately, Murray does not have a match in his family or the worldwide marrow registry.
Murray’s doctors are reaching out to the public to help find a donor, particularly someone with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and genetic heritage from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia, and the United Kingdom. This is because tissue type factors needed for a match are inherited, and a donor with a similar genetic background could provide the best chance for a successful transplant.
You could be Murray’s lifesaving hero without even knowing it! The process of finding out if you are a match for Murray, or any other patient in need, is simple and painless. All it takes is a swab of your cheek to determine your tissue type, and then your information is added to the registry to potentially match with a patient.
Gift of Life, a bone marrow registry, is organizing a swabbing drive in collaboration with the Gedalia Society. The swabbing drive aims to find a match for Murray and other patients who urgently need a transplant. Donors must be between the ages of 18-35 and in general good health.
The swabbing drive will take place in Crown Heights, with two convenient locations. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and guide people through the swabbing process.
By participating in the swabbing drive, you can potentially save a life, and it is a simple way to make a significant impact on someone’s life. Murray and his family are counting on the kindness of Klal Yisroel to help find a match, and you could be that person!
Murray’s Hebrew name is
Moishe Ben Matla
He is from Sydney Australia
please please everyone go get tested, you literally could save his life.
If you have been tested before you are on the registry for life, you don’t need to go again.
You can help by recruiting anyone that you know that hasn’t signed up to go on the registry.
Refuah shelaima
I have a few questions. Does the donour have to be male? Is it possible to do a swab test in another country than US? I really want to help. If i cannot help as a donour, i will still keep praying for Moishe. Im a gentile, but i seem to have a small amount of Azkhenasi Jewish heritage, from middle Europe. That might be Czech republic or Slovakia, actually. Also Hungary, but that country isnt mentioned in the article, so its probably irrelevant. Another question: is blood group important in this matter? I think mine is AB R+ That… Read more »