Two Transplant Recipients Meet Their Lifesaving Donors at Gift of Life Marrow Registry Charitable Gala

Annual Event Supports Mission to Add New Donors to Registry and Celebrates 30th Transplant Anniversary of Gift of Life Founder & CEO Jay Feinberg

NEW YORK, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gift of Life Marrow Registry hosted its One Huge Night NYC Gala, where two lifesaving blood stem cell donors were united with their transplant recipients, one only two years old, for the first time. The event, held at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York, N.Y. on June 4, 2025, brought together donors, transplant recipients, business leaders, and community members in support of Gift of Life’s mission to cure blood cancer, inherited immune disorders and other diseases.

The gala also marked the 30th anniversary of Jay Feinberg's transplant, the Founder and CEO of Gift of Life Marrow Registry, whose personal journey as a recipient inspired the creation of the organization. The donor-recipient pairs were introduced by Montana Tucker, an award-winning performer and social media activist, and David Blumenfeld, Principal of the Blumenfeld Development Group.

The first donor and recipient pair to be introduced included Boris Semkhayev, a 30-year-old medical student from New York City and his 26-year-old recipient, Michelle Bibichayev, from Flushing, Queens, N.Y. In June 2023, Bibichayev was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, initially mistaking her symptoms for pregnancy-related fatigue.

After routine blood work, Bibichayev learned of her life-threatening condition and feared for both her own survival and her baby's future. Faced with the need for a stem cell transplant, she felt nervous, but hopeful. Even while enduring strenuous chemotherapy and recovering from an emergency C-section, she remained optimistic.

“Thank you to Boris and Gift of Life for giving me a second chance at life,” said Bibichayev. “I had a rare type of cancer, and I didn’t think I would survive or that my son would have a mother. You saved my life.”

Semkhayev joined the Gift of Life registry while attending Hunter College in 2015. When he found out he was a match for a patient, he was about to begin a new semester in medical school but immediately agreed to help.

“If your brother or sister, God forbid, needed a life-saving transplant, chances are you or anyone in your family couldn’t donate,” said Semkhayev. “But by others in your community signing up, your loved one could receive that second chance. You can be that hero. My recipient was from my own ethnic community, and that connection made all the difference.”

The second pair of the evening shared an equally touching story. Lindsay Wilson, a 24-year-old recent graduate from St. Petersburg, Fla., was deeply moved to meet Logan Rich-Aiken, her two-year-old recipient from Waldorf, Md., who was battling Inherited Immune Systems Disorders. She joined Gift of Life’s registry in 2020 at a donor recruitment drive held at Florida State University.

She was thrilled when she got the call four-and-a-half years later letting her know that she was a match for a little boy in need.

“Each day was a reminder that committing to help save a life is nothing compared to what the recipients and their families are enduring," said Wilson. "We have the power to make a difference, and that difference can start with joining the registry.”

The gala served as a platform to recognize the unwavering commitment and outstanding advocacy of several supporters. The organization’s highest honor, the Partners for Life Award, was presented to Lynn Schusterman for her support and generosity through the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Her long-standing partnership and collaborative recruitment efforts have inspired young people to drive positive change in the world.

In addition, longtime Gift of Life supporter, board of directors member and transplant recipient Dr. Stephen Colen received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and international law firm Fried Frank was honored with the Corporate Partner Award.

Wendy and Stephen B. Siegel, Gift of Life of Life Board Member and Chairman of the Board, respectively, served as Gala Chairs, Susan and Edward Blumenfeld, Board Member, served as Honorary Gala Chairs and Heller and Jeffrey Goldberg, Board Member, served as Gala Vice Chairs. The event was emceed by Ezra Fineman, a 15-year-old stem cell transplant recipient from Fairlawn, N.J.

About Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. The organization, established in 1991, is dedicated to saving lives by facilitating blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related diseases. The registry houses its own state-of-the-art stem cell collection center, biobank, and laboratory. To learn more about Gift of Life Marrow Registry, visit www.giftoflife.org.

Media contact: Amy Glanzman
Phone: (561) 982-2900; Email: aglanzman@giftoflife.org

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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