Gift of Life Marrow Registry Partners With Miami Beach First Responders During Hispanic Heritage Month to Grow and Diversify Donor Registry

Five-Year-Old Leukemia Survivor Meets Marrow Donor at “Battle of the Badges” Event

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This Hispanic Heritage Month, Gift of Life Marrow Registry teamed up with the Miami Beach Police and Fire Departments to host the inaugural “Battle of the Badges” on October 5 at Fire Station 2 in Miami Beach, Fla., to kickoff Fire Prevention Week. The friendly burger-grilling competition between first responders brought together local families for food, games, donor recruitment and community celebration. Internationally renowned chef Todd English joined the judges panel to help crown the winner.

The recruitment drive was held as part of Gift of Life’s ongoing partnership with Miami Beach first responders, which has raised awareness about the shortage of diverse donors by galvanizing local law enforcement, firefighters and community leaders to join the registry with a simple cheek swab.

“Partnering with the Miami Beach Fire and Police Departments ensures we reach deeper into the community and engage local families in our lifesaving mission,” said Jay Feinberg, Gift of Life Marrow Registry Founder and CEO. “We are proud to highlight the importance of increasing Hispanic and Latino participation in the registry, so every patient has a better chance of finding a match.”

Hispanic patients in the U.S. experience higher rates of blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, and they often face greater difficulties in finding compatible donors. Currently, only 48% of Hispanic blood cancer patients can locate matching donors, highlighting a significant gap that this initiative seeks to address.

“The Battle of the Badges is not only a friendly competition, but also about coming together as one community,” said Digna Abello, Miami Beach Fire Department Chief. “By bringing the donor drive into the event, we gave attendees a chance to take meaningful action while also learning about fire safety.”

“Gift of Life is an organization whose very purpose is to save lives,” said Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne A. Jones. “The truth is, we can all be heroes — whether you wear a police uniform or a firefighter’s gear — through this incredible organization, each of us has the power to help save a life.”

A highlight of the event was the first-time emotional introduction of Gift of Life donor Elizabeth Resnick to her 5-year-old transplant recipient Dawson Lankford.

Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at just 13 months old, Dawson endured months of treatment before doctors determined that a marrow transplant was his best hope for survival. The family was shocked to learn that neither Dawson’s mother, father—a volunteer firefighter with the Seaford Fire Department in Seaford, Del.—nor his siblings were viable matches, meaning they would have to rely on an unrelated donor to save his life. A search through Gift of Life’s registry found his perfect match, a stranger whose generosity gave him a second chance.

The community event coincided with the recognition of Ana Miranda, Gift of Life Marrow Registry Director of Donor Services, who was recently honored by the Florida Panthers in their “Celebration of Hispanic Excellence” series for her nearly two decades of service guiding donors and patients through the transplant process.

“As a Latina working with stem cell and marrow donors for nearly 20 years, I know how transformative one match can be,” said Miranda. “Each person who joins the registry may be the lifesaving hero a patient is waiting for.”

Anyone in general good health between 18 and 35 years old may join the registry by requesting a registration kit at www.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 blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related diseases. The registry houses its own state-of-the-art stem cell collection center, biobank, and laboratory. To learn more about Gift of Life Marrow Registry, visit www.giftoflife.org.

Media contact: Amy Glanzman
Phone: (561) 561-982-2900; Email: aglanzman@giftoflife.org

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