One of our community members whose humility shines as brightly as his generosity, donated his stem cells to his brother when he was in middle school. Jonathan E. ’26’s extraordinary gift—which he downplays as a “no-brainer”—embodies the spirit of altruism.

His older brother, Tristan, was diagnosed with a rare leukemia when Jonathan wasin 7th grade. "Growing up, our family was very close-knit," Jonathan said. "The kind of family who eats dinner every night. Our family's love and connection was crucial when his diagnosis came."

When Tristan was first diagnosed with leukemia, Jonathan explained, doctors thought chemotherapy would treat it. Sadly, that therapy did not work. They decided that a stem cell transplant would be the next best option. In order to do the transplant, they needed to find the optimal donor. The doctors said that blood-related donors performed best because they were often the closest match.

“That's when my mother and I were identified as matches. I was the better one since I was younger than my mom and hopefully my stem cells would last longer,” Jonathan said.

Stem cell donation can be a physically and emotionally demanding process, yet Jonathan bravely stepped forward without hesitation.

“My folks were great during this time—they both made sure I knew I didn't have to do it, but compared to what my brother was going through, I couldn’t imagine not helping him,” Jonathan shared.

Though Jonathan describes the procedure with nonchalance, hearing how the process works can make a person squeamish. “I received injections for four consecutive days to stimulate my bone marrow to make stem cells. They then inserted a central line IV into my neck to collect my blood and sent it through a big machine with a filter and a bag to collect my stem cells. I sat next to this machine in the hospital for 12 hours while my brother was in a different room nearby, waiting for what was coming from me,” Jonathan explained.

Since then, his brother’s leukemia has come back twice. The first time Tristan's leukemia recurred, his mother provided stem cells for a second transplant. And when it recurred again, a German donor provided the necessary stem cells. After that third transplant, the cancer has remained in remission and Tristan is recovering well.

And no, his brother wasn’t suddenly able to speak German, Jonathan laughed. He confided that the experience deeply impacted his family and he appreciates how his parents’ strength helped his brother and him, noting that his mom, an ER doctor, was a pillar of strength and knowledge throughout this journey.

Jonathan’s willingness to endure the trauma and discomfort of offering life-saving cells to his brother highlights the deep compassion and sense of responsibility that define our community.