FDNY Bone Marrow Donors Honored

Retired Firefighter Billy Pollack meets his stem cell recipient, Patricia Naasz, from Stockton, Calif.

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FDNY members were honored on Jan. 25 for an unusual type of rescue - saving the lives of people they have never met.

Two members, Firefighter Alex Lee from Engine 69 and retired Firefighter Billy Pollack of Engine 292, got the opportunity to meet their bone marrow recipients during the emotional Honor Roll of Life ceremony at FDNY Headquarters. Ten others, who donated life-saving bone marrow and stem cells in 2009, were added to the Honor Roll plaque during the sixth annual event with the New York Blood Center (NYBC).

Former Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta also was recognized with the Kwalwasser Award for his contributions to the program.

“The New York Blood Center and the FDNY share a common goal of saving lives,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. “This event really demonstrates how selfless our members are.”

More than 8,000 FDNY members are on the registry, and since the program’s inception, 126 firefighters have donated bone marrow or stem cells to patients from around the world.

NYBC celebrated the 1,000th stem cell donation from members of its registry in 2009, and FDNY donors made up 13 percent of these donations.

“These are true acts of kindness,” said President and CEO of the NYBC, Dr. Chris Hillyer. “[FDNY members] are truly special.”

He also praised former Commissioner Scoppetta for all his work to help expand the program. The Commissioner graciously accepted the Kwalwasser Award in honor of a friend who is battling leukemia.

For more information about the bone marrow and stem cell donor program, please call (800) NY-BLOODx2 or (718) 797-7850x2, or visit www.bethematch.org.

Firefighter Alex Lee and Gary Williams

Firefighter Lee, 27, was reunited with his bone marrow and stem cell recipient, Gary Williams, 55, from Brandon, Miss.

Firefighter Lee, a lifelong Queens resident, joined the FDNY in May 2005 and became a member of the ‘Be The Match’ registry while at the Fire Academy in August that year.

Mr. Williams, who has been married for 35 years and is the father of two grown sons, was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow) in Dec. 2006. After receiving induction chemotherapy and spending weeks in intensive care, Mr. Williams received the life-saving transplant.

After a relapse in May 2008, Mr. Williams received more of Firefighter Lee’s donated cells, which had been frozen. Today he said he is living the life he had before he was diagnosed.

“It’s overwhelming,” Firefighter Lee said upon meeting his bone marrow recipient.

Mr. Williams, who attended the ceremony with his son Allen, a former U.S. Marine, said they had “a connection you can’t explain.”

He noted that he had once spoken with the firefighter on the phone, and said, “it was like talking with one of my sons.”

Firefighter Billy Pollack and Patricia Naasz

Firefighter Pollack, 47, who retired in 2005, donated stem cells to Patricia Naasz, 50, of Stockton, Calif., on Aug. 23, 2003.

Firefighter Pollack joined the ‘Be the Match’ registry in 1990.

Ms. Naasz, a mother of two, was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and was given little chance of survival. The day after her 25th wedding anniversary, she and her husband flew to Seattle for her life-saving transplant.

Since the successful operation, Ms. Naasz and her husband have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, watched their daughter become a teacher and seen the birth of their first grandson.

“This is my new brother,” she said as she tugged on the sleeve of Firefighter Pollack’s uniform. “He donated all my milestones. I’m living again.”

Firefighter Pollack said he was anxious to meet his recipient. He said he lost several friends on Sept. 11, 2001, and has been sad ever since.

“She saved me too,” he said. “I needed something to pick me up and this is just what I needed. It’s one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had in my life.”