Gala Honorary Chairs: The Furlong Family

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Join us in supporting Be The Match^® as the Honorary Chairs of the 2023 Be The Match Gala.

Be The Match is a global leader working every day to save lives through cellular therapy. For the 18,000 people each year diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers—like leukemia and lymphoma—or other blood disorders like sickle cell, a cure exists through a blood stem cell transplant. But each year, almost half of those who need an unrelated donor transplant can’t get one - encountering various barriers, including financial limitations and the availability of a matching donor. As we know firsthand, those people are usually at the final stop in their treatment options. And without a treatment, their prognosis for survival is low.

Be The Match is the critical organization dedicated to saving the lives of people like Riley who usually have no other path forward. And so much work is left to be done. The funds we raise help to advance the Be The Match mission – adding more potential life-saving blood stem cell donors to the Be The Match Registry^®️, providing financial assistance to patients and families to overcome financial barriers throughout transplant, and accelerating groundbreaking research. 

Our Be The Match Story

When Riley was just eight years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Hearing that your child has cancer is the worst moment a parent can face.
After a year of chemotherapy treatment, Riley’s leukemia returned, so her oncologist recommended a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, Riley had a suitable donor match on the Be The Match Registry^® - something we’ve learned is not the case for every patient that needs one.

In May 2018, Riley received her bone marrow transplant. While she didn’t develop any complications, the road to recovery was long. 

Now 14 years old, Riley is doing great. Fighting cancer was the main thing that defined her life—and ours, too—for three years. But now what defines her life is time with friends, studying for tests, cooking a great meal, celebrating birthdays or playing in a basketball game, and for that we will be forever grateful.

Since experiencing first-hand the life-saving impact of the Be The Match mission, we have become steadfast supporters. We are dedicating our time and contributions towards accelerating their cause. This year, we are both humbled and excited to have been asked to be the 2023 Be The Match Gala Honorary Chairs. We’re also thrilled that this experience will include the incredible moment when Riley and our family meet her life-saving donor, Ioan, for the very first time in person. He’ll be traveling from Wales to participate in this special evening with us at the Gala.

We are grateful for the opportunity to tell our story with the hope of inspiring others to support Be The Match in any way they can. Please join us – whether you decide to attend the event with us, contribute towards our fundraising page, or find other ways to support the mission (like joining the registry!) – every action you take alongside us can help patients get to, and through, transplant – providing more outcomes like Riley’s.

Ways to Support:

Attend the event on September 30, 2023 with us. More information on table and ticket purchases can be found at BeTheMatch.org/Gala. Under "ticket details" put "Furlong Family" in special requests.

Make a financial contribution on this page to support Be The Match. Your gift delivers cures to patients desperate for a second chance at life. Give now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about the Gala visit BeTheMatch.org/Gala.