Bernard Weiner of
Troy, left, received
a bone marrow
donation from
Judah Berger.
Saving A Life
Troy man receives bone marrow donation.
Providing skilled nursing and
rehabilitation care to the Jewish
Community since 1996!
Make sure you choose the right
provider to get you back on the
road to recovery.
Contact us to learn more, including
our Jewish services featuring the
only kosher kitchen* in Michigan
within a skilled nursing center.
Heartland – West Bloomfield
248.661.1700
Marvin & Betty Danto
Health Care Center
248.778.5300
West Bloomfield, MI
JOE BERKOFSKY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I
n a deeply emotional meeting
earlier this month, a Michigan
man who was battling blood
cancer not long ago finally learned
the identity of the Atlanta man
who saved his life with a bone mar-
row donation through the Gift of
Life Marrow Registry.
Bernard Weiner, 70, of Troy and
Judah Berger, 22, of Atlanta, met
for the first time at the Gift of Life
Campus Ambassador Symposium
at the Boca Raton Marriott. Weiner
had received a bone marrow trans-
plant from Berger after a search of
Gift of Life’s registry showed they
were a match.
Berger, a former Gift of Life
Campus Ambassador and now
a New York City resident, joined
Gift of Life’s registry at a swab
drive when he was 18. Weiner was
diagnosed with Myelodysplastic
Disorder, a blood cancer, and had
run out of options; the one treat-
ment left was a marrow transplant.
Berger agreed to donate his bone
marrow for the lifesaving trans-
plant, but due to strict confidenti-
ality laws, neither knew the other’s
identity until now.
Berger, who has hosted people
who had nowhere to celebrate
Friday night Sabbath dinners, said
his upbringing shaped his deci-
sion to donate. “In the Torah, it
says you should help a stranger
36 times, even though it might be
counterintuitive,” he told the Gift of
Life Campus Ambassadors. “Know
that you will make a difference.”
Turning to Weiner, he added, “We
are living proof.”
Weiner described the complica-
tions he experienced after chemo-
therapy and his transplant. “I am
sure Judah’s cells helped me fight
that off,” he said. At one point,
Weiner was about to receive a
transplant from a different donor,
only to learn it was called off for
medical reasons. He was fortunate
to have more than one possible
donor in the registry; not every
patient can find even one donor.
“I guess it was really meant to
be,” he said, after embracing Berger.
“My family told me to give him a
big hug for them.” Weiner, his wife,
Harriet, and their daughter, Robyn,
and grandchildren Jakob and
Rebekah all belong to Congregation
Shir Tikvah in Troy.
“It’s been a journey,” Weiner said.
“Naturally, I’m becoming a little
more spiritual. I say my own little
prayer at night, and I figure some-
one is watching over me and my
donor. I never did that before.
“I’ve had a lot of people of dif-
ferent religions praying for me,”
he said, including hundreds of
people from the National Stuttering
Association, of which he is a mem-
ber. “I really feel that helped get me
through this journey.”
Since its start in 1991, Gift of
Life has grown the registry to more
than 308,00 individuals who have
volunteered to donate blood stem
cells or bone marrow to save a life.
In the process, Gift of Life has facil-
itated more than 15,000 matches
for those with a range of blood can-
cers, resulting in more than 3,300
transplants. To learn more, visit
giftoflife.org. •
IChooseHeartland.com
*Kosher kitchen only at Marvin & Betty Danto Health Care Center
© 2017 HCR Healthcare, LLC
Change
the way
the world
views you!
Smile—The world will take a different view of you!
BEFORE
AFTER
With the breakthrough Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation
Technique for gum recession, a beautiful smile
is only a visit away. Dr. Nemeth was the fi rst
periodontist in Michigan to be certifi ed in
this technique. This revolutionary treatment
for gum recession contours the gums, allowing
for a younger, more youthful appearance.
Periodontics
Dental Implants
Joseph R. Nemeth
Associates
Joseph R. Nemeth, DDS
Amar Katranji, DDS, MS
29829 Telegraph Road, Suite 111 | Southfi eld, Michigan 48034
248.357.3100 | www.drnemeth.com
jn
August 30 • 2018
69