Annual NMDP(SM) Gala in New York City Raises Over a Half Million Dollars, Enabling More Patients to Receive Life-Saving Cell Therapy

May 06, 2025 at 14:06 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NMDP^SM hosted its annual gala in New York on Thursday, May 1, raising $525,000-- funds which will support patient financial assistance and innovative cell therapy research to improve post-transplant outcomes and expand treatment access so every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy. In 2024, NMDP provided $6.6 million in patient assistance to 3,300 patients and their families, more than any year prior.

The event, held at Cipriani 25 Broadway, celebrated NMDP’s mission and the impact on 7,994 lives through cell therapy in 2024 for patients battling blood cancers and blood disorders—the most ever facilitated by the organization in a single year. The event’s presenting sponsor, Publicis Media, continued their long-standing support of NMDP.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights was when blood stem cell transplant recipient Richard “RC” Wainwright, 38, of Pennsylvania met his life-saving donor, Illinois resident Joseph “Joe” Chandler, 26, for the first time. In 2023, the husband and father of two young children became sick with what he thought was a stomach bug his son brought home from daycare. He was shocked to hear from urgent care physicians that he likely had leukemia and would need to go straight to the emergency department. His doctor determined a blood stem cell transplant would be the best course of treatment and found his match on the NMDP Registry.

Wainwright said of meeting his donor, “Thank you doesn’t feel like enough. Because of Joe, I get to take my kids to basketball practice and swimming. There were several times where I thought I’d never have that chance. He's done such an incredible thing for me and my family.”

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link.

“All of us at NMDP are honored to witness moments like the meeting between RC and Joe,” said Erica Jensen, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Advancement. “The funds we've raised tonight will support continued cell therapy research and our patient assistance grant program, making more moments like this one possible.”

At the event, NMDP also celebrated the contributions of honorary chair, Mary Horowitz, MD, MS, the Robert A. Uihlein, Jr. Chair in Hematologic Research and Professor of Medicine at Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). She focuses on the care and outcome of patients receiving blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants. She has pioneered groundbreaking clinical trials using mismatched unrelated donors, accelerating progress and expanding access to life-saving cell therapy for many patients.

NMDP was also proud to recognize Incyte with the 2025 NMDP Corporate Leadership Award. Since 2018, Incyte has contributed generously to critical NMDP initiatives such as the Jason Carter Clinical Trials Search & Support and the NMDP Patient and Caregiver Emotional Support (PACES) program. These programs provide patients and families resources and support in navigating the transplant journey. "Incyte is proud and honored to receive this year's corporate partnership award from the NMDP. We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership, collaborating and supporting patients and the transplant community, as part of our shared commitment to patients, including those impacted by graft-versus-host disease," said Mohamed Issa, Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Oncology, Incyte.

Thanks in part to fundraising, NMDP has made monumental strides in accelerating progress and expanding access to treatment. The organization continues to champion breakthrough research that will allow more patients with blood cancer or blood disorders to receive life-saving cell therapy. Learn more about ways to get involved here.

About NMDP^SM

At NMDP^SM, we believe each of us holds the key to curing blood cancers and disorders. As a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, NMDP creates essential connections between researchers and supporters to inspire action and accelerate innovation to find life-saving cures. With the help of blood stem cell donors from the world’s most diverse registry and our extensive network of transplant partners, physicians and caregivers, we’re expanding access to treatment so that every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy. NMDP. Find cures. Save lives.

Contact:

Erin Bix
NMDP
917-204-6355
ebix@nmdp.org