We all know that kids love Disney, that’s why what this young boy did is truly inspiring. Not all kids can understand the gravity of certain situations at such a young age, like what it means for someone’s to save your life. He gave up a trip to Disney and chose to go meet the marrow donor who saved his life instead.
This is a story that you won’t want to miss, scroll down!
This young boy’s life was saved by a marrow doner as just a baby. 6-years later, he chose to meet his donor, over of going to Disney.
Back in 2013, Gabriel Smith was just a 14-month-old baby with aplastic anemia whose bone marrow was failing. He was in critical condition and would need a transplant to survive.
That’s when doner, Dennis Gutt, comes into the story. He was just a 19-year-old from, Schuby, Germany, who happened to be surfing the web when he came across Be The Match, an organization with the biggest donor marrow registry in the world. When he learned that donating could save a life, Dennis didn’t think twice, he donated but never knew who the marrow went to.
Fast forward 5-years, when the Make-A-Wish foundation offered 7-year-old Gabriel one wish. It was between Disney or meeting his doner, he easily chose the donor who saved his life.
Five years after Gabriel’s life was saved by a bone marrow transplant, the Make-A-Wish foundation offered Gabriel one wish. His first thought, how bout he takes the doner that saved his life to meet Mickey?
The Make-A-Wish foundation, explained to Gabriel that he could only have one wish, it would either have to be Mickey or his doner Dennis? He didn’t think twice, he had to meet the man who saved his life,
Make-A-Wish arranged for Gabriel to meet the man who saved his life. He came all the way from Germany, they bonded instantly!
The Make-A-Wish Foundation arranged for Gabriel’s doner, Dennis, to come all the way from Germany to the States and meet the 7-year-old boy he saved. They were both thrilled!
The connection was instant, Gabriel and Dennis finally got to meet, they immediately became best friends. Dennis quickly became close with the rest of Gabriel’s family as well.
“He is part of the family now, he bonded instantly with Gabriel and our other two kids, Ebbie and Xavier. We are hoping this experience will encourage others to donate blood and join the Be The Match registry.” Said Gabriel’s mother, Lauren.
Dennis and Gabriel’s story inspires thousands of others to donate blood through Be The Match.
Lauren thought the inspiring story could encourage others to donate, and she was right! On August 27th, she shared the heartwarming story to her Facebook page, and the response was extremely uplifting!
Thousands of people responded by signing up with Be The Match and donating, each person that donates, potentially saving a life. This story can teach us so much about our connection with others, with compassion and action, you can change the world!
This 7-year-old boy turned down a trip to Disney – he’d rather meet the marrow donor who saved his life.
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