Pro Football Hall Of Famer Cris Carter Helps To Introduce 3-year Old Leukemia Survivor To Bone Marrow Donor Who Saved His Life
Emotional Meeting Took Place at the Gift of Life Marrow Registry Inaugural Golf Tournament Co-Hosted by Carter on April 13.
- (1888PressRelease) April 16, 2021 - Boca Raton, FL – Florida resident Jamie Lowe, who donated lifesaving bone marrow to a gravely ill toddler, Avery Cook, had an emotional first-time meeting with him and his family yesterday. The donor-recipient pair were introduced at Gift of Life Marrow Registry’s Inaugural Golf Tournament co-hosted by Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter in West Palm Beach.
3-year-old Avery was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer, when he was a year old and his parents began to notice bruises that became so extreme they could see the outline of his spine, shoulders and hip bones. He went through treatment but relapsed with acute myeloid leukemia, another fast-growing form of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, shortly after. His parents, both employees at Publix in Spring Hill, Fla., were devastated to learn that Avery needed a bone marrow transplant to survive yet neither of them were a full match.
“Knowing we needed a transplant for Avery's survival was scary on its own, but it was not knowing if we had any matches,” said Avery’s mother, Bailey Cook. “That alone was very scary for everyone.”
In 2019, Avery’s doctors turned to the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, which thankfully had a matching donor, Jamie Lowe, who was willing and able to make the donation. Jamie was inspired to join the registry in 2016 after watching a segment about bone marrow donation during the Chelsea Handler Netflix show, Chelsea.
“My mom passed away from cancer at the end of 2012, but there wasn’t anything we could do and we ran out of options,” said Lowe, a 31-year-old retail associate at Lululemon. “When I heard the news [that I was a match], I called my family and friends right away.”
Avery received his transplant at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. and his parents are relieved to put that chapter behind them. “[Jamie] saved not only our baby, but our whole world,” said Bailey Cook. “We will forever be grateful.”
Carter and fellow event host Evie Goldfine, who herself received a stem cell transplant through Gift of Life 15 years ago, helped to facilitate the reunion, which kicked off the golf scramble in support of Gift of Life’s mission to save the lives of blood cancer patients. The event teamed up foursomes with Carter and other former National Football League players, including Dolphins greats Mark Duper and Jed Weaver.
“[Becoming a donor] is not as painful as people think it is,” said Carter. “It’s a lot easier.”
Carter has been a dedicated Gift of Life supporter and previously hosted a “LIV Life” fundraiser for the organization during the week of Super Bowl LIV in 2020, which also brought together current and former NFL athletes. During that event, he urged people to join the registry and emphasized that the need to diversify the registry is especially urgent: “You have a chance and it’s fairly simple – swabbing takes five minutes and then you are officially registered,” he said.
To join the Gift of Life registry or make a financial contribution, potential donors and contributors may visit giftoflife.org.
About Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. The organization, established in 1991, is dedicated to saving lives by facilitating bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related diseases. To learn more about Gift of Life Marrow Registry, visit www.giftoflife.org.
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam