Scott’s daughter Natalie still gets incredibly sad remembering how sick her dad was and how he couldn’t make it to her high school graduation. Grateful to Be The Match for finding her father’s genetically compatible donor match, Natalie started fundraising with Team Be The Match on her 20th birthday—which coincidentally also happened to be the same week of Scott’s transplant anniversary (or “marrow birthday”). She’s already raised over $12,000, starting a spark, setting in motion life-saving work.
When you fundraise with Team Be The Match, your simple action starts a ripple effect of hope that reaches not just patients, but their families and loved ones as well.
When Scott was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2018, he wasn’t about to let it change his attitude or how he viewed life. He would tell everyone it was nothing—just a little “stumble” in life.
After intense chemotherapy and an autologous (using his own cells) stem cell transplant, Scott was cancer-free. But a year later, the cancer returned. This time, Scott required a transplant using donor blood stem cells to save his life. “This is when Be The Match was introduced to us—what a blessing!” he says.
The days of preparation leading up to Scott’s transplant were tough, but the transplant itself went smoothly with his wife Debbie as his caregiver and lifeline. “I would not have made it without my wife, the rock of our family, my family and faith,” he says.
Scott also expresses high praise for Be The Match and his anonymous marrow donor. “After finding my match, Be The Match gave me hope to keep living.” And if he ever had the chance to meet his donor? “Oh man, words cannot convey my thanks. I think I would just hug them, thank them and do my best to express my never-ending appreciation,” he shares.
Team Be The Match is a community dedicated to raising critical funds for patient support, registry recruitment and transplant research. As patients, blood stem cell donors, or their loved ones, many of our fundraisers—like Natalie—know the transplant journey firsthand. Together, our team of doers, fighters and cheerleaders provide hope and help for patients on their transplant journey.
When asked what he would tell someone who’s thinking about fundraising with Team Be The Match, Scott responded, “I would say, ‘Do it—it truly saves lives.’ I can’t think of a better cause. My daughter Natalie is my hero.”
You can be someone’s hero too. Start your spark by starting your own fundraiser with Team Be The Match or by donating to Natalie’s fundraiser today.
