Aja-Reigh loves tacos, action movies, singing along with Beyoncé–and helping people. “My mom would always tell me that it is important for people to care for each other.” That’s what motivated her to join the registry in 2013. A year later, she got the call she was a match for a 13-year-old boy with sickle cell disease. She was filled with joy and eager to move forward. Her family was excited for her, but were worried it was going to hurt. “I reminded them to think about the patient. The pain for me was only temporary,” said Aja-Reigh.
It was lucky for Justin, her transplant recipient, that Aja-Reigh felt that way. His ethnic background (Guatemalan and Jamaican) made his chances of finding a match very slim, and for many patients like him, the wait to find a match can be long and uncertain.
She and Justin met for the first time in May 2017 at Be The Match’s New York Soiree, inspiring tears of joy from the crowd. The funds raised at the event help increase the ethnic diversity of the registry, ensuring that more patients like Justin can find a donor when they need it.
Looking back, Aja-Reigh has this advice for other donors: “Don’t let other people discourage you. Think about the recipient. If you have something that could potentially save a life, why not donate it?”
