The FDNY/NYBC Honor Roll of Life Induction Ceremony was held on Thursday, January 30, marking the 30th Anniversary of the program that matches FDNY donors with patients in need of lifesaving transplants. FDNY Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and NYBC President and CEO Christopher D. Hillyer, MD, joined together to add 13 FDNY bone marrow donors to the Honor Roll of Life at the annual induction ceremony held at FDNY Headquarters in Brooklyn.
During the ceremony Firefighter Robert Paolillo, 29, of Ladder Company 1 in Lower Manhattan met the recipient of his lifesaving bone marrow, Jeff Faller, 45, a father of three from Waco, Texas; and retired Lieutenant Kieran Brosnan, 50, of Engine Company 79 in the Bronx met the recipient of his lifesaving bone marrow, Joseph Stike, 29, of York, Pennsylvania.
“More than 200 FDNY members have answered the call for life-saving bone marrow donations – including several members who have donated to help others on multiple occasions – and thousands more stand ready to donate when a match is found,” said Commissioner Nigro. “The FDNY’s partnership with the New York Blood Center and the Be The Match Registry continues to provide our Department the opportunity to save lives well beyond the borders of the five boroughs.”
View photos from the event, and read the Daily News story featuring Firefighter Robert Paolillo, who met the recipient of his stem cells, Jeff Faller, during the ceremony.
Fire Commissioner Nigro and New York Blood Center Honor FDNY Bone Marrow Donors– FDNY
Bone Marrow Recipients Thank FDNY Donors – NBC New York
FDNY Firefighters Give the Gift of Life with Bone Marrow Donation – ABC New York