Only 30 percent of people seeking transplants have a suitable match in their immediate family. The rest, including adopted children like Garrett, have to rely on the willingness of strangers through databases like the National Marrow Donor Program.
Because less than 2 percent of the population is registered, the chances of finding a match are small. The Celebrity Soccer Challenge not only registers to potential donors every year, but it also introduces survivors to their anonymous donors at halftime. For Hamm, this makes the break in the action more memorable than the game. After he was unable to find a suitable donor nearly 15 years ago, Mia understands the impact that an event like this can have on families and their communities.
Click here for reprint permission. Click to Read More and View Comments. Click to Hide. Happening Now. Same Deal. Happy New Year! It goes without saying that Garrett's passing had a profound impact on my life's mission, one that was initially realized in with MHF's creation and expanded upon in It was during that year that MHF sponsored the first annual "Garrett Game," an all-star exhibition soccer match that helped raised funding to support transplant patients.
In a particularly poignant moment, the MHF brought together marrow donors and recipients at halftime of the game. Undoubtedly, that moment was one of the most satisfying of my life and one that encapsulates the spirit and aims of my foundation into the present.
Today, the "Garrett Game" has evolved into "The Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge," a match that carries on the spirit of raising funding to benefit transplant patients and their families.
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