January 25, 2023

Boca Raton, FL, – Peter Grehlinger, a 61-year-old survivor of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia met the man who saved his life with a blood stem cell transplant, 34-year-old Tory Foster. The heartwarming and emotional introduction took place at the Gift of Life Marrow Registry Steps for Life 5k Run & Walk in Boca Raton January 22, 2023 at the FAU Stadium.

Grehlinger, an engineer, husband and father of two resides in Allentown, N.J. and was thrilled to meet Foster, a father of an 11-year-old son from The Villages, Fla. The two had never met before, as transplants are anonymous for the first year under federal regulations.

Foster, who donated to Grehlinger in August 2021, joined the registry in 2019 at a Misfits Gaming viewing party held at Florida Southern College.

The two were introduced by Gift of Life Steps for Life 5k co-founders and co-chairs Wendy Schulman, Dana Aberman and Donna Krasner. After sharing Grehlinger’s story with attendees, they invited Foster to join them and meet his recipient for the first time. The emotional pair shared a warm hug and were thrilled to finally meet each other.

“With my donors DNA ‘floating around inside of me’, we share a natural bond,” said Grehlinger. “I hope Tory realizes what a great deed he has done.”

“I’ve always wanted to help people, and this was the ultimate way of helping someone,” said Foster. “I was very happy about being able to do something like this for someone. You could be the reason someone sees tomorrow.”

The 13th annual family-friendly race featured a 5k that was chip-timed and certified along with children’s activities including a petting zoo, face painting, bounce house, Superhero Sprint, music, snacks and more.

The event benefited Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a nonprofit registry for blood stem cell and marrow donors facilitating matches between donors and patients. Stem cell and marrow transplants have the potential to cure leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell, inherited immune disorders, and 70 other life-threatening conditions.

Gift of Life is currently searching for donors for multiple blood cancer patients. Those wishing to join the registry and learn if they are a lifesaving match for a patient can visit https://www.giftoflife.org/register.

“For 30 years Gift of Life has had one mission – to ensure that every patient has a donor available at the time they are needed,” said Gift of Life Founder and CEO, Jay Feinberg, himself a transplant survivor. “Every person fighting to overcome blood cancer deserves a second chance at life. Our donors tell us that saving a cancer patient’s life is one of the most incredible, life-changing experiences possible.”

About Gift of Life Marrow Registry

Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. Established in 1991, Gift of Life Marrow Registry is dedicated to saving lives by facilitating blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants for patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell, inherited immune disorders, and other blood-related diseases. To learn more about Gift of Life Marrow Registry, visit giftoflife.org.

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