FIND A PATIENT
Daytona Cubs Center Fielder Matt Szczur and His Former Coach Villanova's Andy Talley Endorse HelpHOPELive
05/24/2012
News
Matt Szczur: “As a professional athlete, it’s my job to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of me performing at my highest level. Help from my coaches over the years has allowed me to break through barriers to success. HelpHOPELive is "Coach" for patients and families facing financial hurdles to a lifesaving transplant, providing expert fundraising guidance and ongoing support.”
Coach Talley: “As someone committed to increasing the number of registered bone marrow donors, I am delighted for an organization like HelpHOPELive, which helps transplant patients and their donors afford the many out-of-pocket expenses that can often prevent patients from getting the care they need, and prevent donors from making the decision to help.”
Szczur and Talley: Their Impact on Transplant
Matt Szczur (pronounced Caesar) is a center fielder for the Class A-Advanced Daytona Cubs. Prior to signing a professional contact with the Cubs in January 2011, Szczur was a dual-athlete standout at Villanova University, excelling in baseball and football.
During his freshman year, Szczur made the decision to join the Be the Match Marrow Registry® with influence from his then-football coach Andy Talley. Thousands of patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Registry to find a lifesaving donor match. Since 1992, Coach Talley has made it his mission to raise awareness about the importance of marrow donation, hosting donor drives on campus and recruiting his Wildcats Football team, year after year, to join the Registry and recuit others for the chance to save a life. As a result of Coach Talley's efforts, 25,000 potential donors have been tested and registered through the Be The Match Registry®--some have been identified as donor matches, such as Szczur. During the 2009 Wildcats Football season, Szczur was identified as a donor match for a girl with juvenile leukemia. In 2010, he gave the gift of life.
"Our superbowl is here...'Get in the Game and Save a Life'." Watch Coach Talley at work in video below.
Talley's annual bone marrow testing drive in April 2012 was a success. Over 30 college football teams participated. Learn more
