Thousands Turn Up to Pop-Up Bone Marrow Drive to Save Bride with Leukemia
Sixteen thousand Israelis of Moroccan and Yemenite descent lined up in a single day at 30 locations all over the country to contribute saliva samples at an emergency bone marrow drive for an Israeli bride who was diagnosed with leukemia just a month before her wedding. Ezer Mizion, an Israel Prize-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to offering a wide range of medical and social support services, and known for its Bone Marrow Donor Registry, organized the event to help 27-year-old Roni Cohen find a potentially life-saving donor. Israeli Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, who, like the bride-to-be, is of mixed Moroccan and Yemenite descent, was among those taking a swab. Ezer Mizion’s registry matches patients in need of a stem cell transplant to genetically compatible donors, working with transplant centers and saving lives in 47 countries.