Ezra and Dallas finally met at the DKMS Gala, and clearly, these two were meant to be brothers! Between the dancing, laughing, and calling each other "blood brothers," it's safe to say they made the most of their first night together. ❤️ Dallas gave Ezra a second chance, and now they've got a whole lot of memories to make.

From complete strangers to "we're buds now." 🥹❤️ This is the moment we've all been waiting for! At the DKMS Gala in New York City, Ezra and his mom finally came face-to-face with Dallas, the man who donated his stem cells to Ezra. After everything that brought them together, seeing Ezra and Dallas immediately connect made this first meeting even more special. And of course, Ezra had one very important question to answer: Did he expect his donor to be a cowboy? 🤠 One swab started this connection. Now they've got a friendship to go with it.

This song already had a special meaning. That night, it became even more personal. 🥹❤️ At the DKMS Gala in New York City, stem cell donor Dallas performed "Heart Like A Truck," a song he co-wrote with Lainey Wilson, and dedicated it to his stem cell recipient, Ezra. Knowing the connection these two share makes this performance hit a little differently. From being matched through the stem cell donor registry to sharing this moment together, their story is something special. 🎶

Tomorrow is a day Ezra and Dallas will never forget. 🥹❤️ After being connected through a stem cell donation, the two are finally getting ready to meet face-to-face at the DKMS Gala in New York City! The night before, both sides shared just how excited they were for the moment ahead. And hearing that excitement makes tomorrow feel even more special. A stem cell donation brought their stories together. Now, they finally get to meet the person on the other side. ❤️

POV: You walked the red carpet at our 20th annual gala 🤩

The Giant Swab hit the red carpet 📸

📸 Swab Selfie Sunday #80 ❤️ 80 weeks of showing you what swabbing looks like. Still the same simple process: a painless cheek swab that joins you to the DKMS stem cell donor registry, the network patients search when they need a stem cell transplant. One swab, one more chance at a match for someone out there. Want to be next? DM your #SwabSelfie 📲 Comment "Swab Today" and we'll send you the link to join. #DKMS

📸 Swab Selfie Sunday #79 ❤️ Swipe through and you'll see real people who took a minute out of their day to swab 🩷 It's the easiest way to join the DKMS stem cell donor registry and put yourself in the pool of potential matches for patients needing a stem cell transplant. DM us your #SwabSelfie for a chance to be featured 📲 Comment "Swab Today" and we'll send you the registration link. #DKMS

✨ What an unforgettable night! The 20th Annual DKMS Gala at Cipriani Wall Street raised more than $2.3 million to help patients around the world with blood cancer. The evening was led by Katharina Harf, who celebrated 20 years of DKMS galas in New York, with a live auction led by Scott Adsit and Hilaria Baldwin. Nile Rodgers & CHIC and New York City Ballet’s Joseph Gordon and Tiler Peck took the stage. 🎶 One of the most powerful moments came when 11-year-old Ezra met his stem cell donor, Dallas Wilson, for the very first time on stage. ❤️ Special thanks to everyone who joined us, from Coco Rocha, Susan Lucci, and Colby Minifie to Amaya Espinal, Brenna D’Amico, and so many others, for making this night one to remember. Together, we’re giving more patients a second chance. 💫

Tomorrow night, a room full of people who care about saving lives will come together in NYC. 🥹 Here is a little of what Katharina Harf shared with the room last year, and it is a good preview of the energy we are walking into. More amazing moments are coming, and we cannot wait to bring you along. ✨

Turns out a red carpet is a great place to talk about swabbing your cheek. 😂 Between the photographers and the outfits, a some of our guests stopped to talk about what a stem cell donor can do for a stranger. Some of them had never heard about it before that night. Watch what they said, then save the date. We are 2 days from doing it all again. ✨

Madison hugged the person whose stem cells gave her a second chance. 🥹 William was a stranger on a registry until the day a match changed everything. At last year's DKMS Gala, the two finally stood in the same room. In 3 days, we get to be in that room again and watch another donor and patient meet. ❤️

Finding a match is just the first chapter. 🧬 Before a stem cell transplant can happen, a patient needs HLA typing to see who could be a match, and that includes testing family members too. If no one in the family fits, we can start a search for an unrelated stem cell donor. Then comes the part people rarely talk about: paying for it. Our Patient Funding program helps cover treatment costs for people who otherwise couldn't afford the transplant they need, including long-term care for conditions like thalassemia and sickle cell disease. 💙 And behind both of those is Capacity Building, which supports local hospitals, trains medical staff, and funds professional exchange so the care is there long after we've left. The DKMS Gala is 4 days away in NYC, and this is what the night supports.

In 5 days, a stranger becomes family. 🥹 We're keeping this donor's face and voice hidden for now, because the best part of the story hasn't happened yet. On October 15 at the DKMS Gala in NYC, they'll meet the patient and family whose life changed because of a swab kit and a match. Until then, you'll have to wait with us. ⏳

Madison met the man whose stem cells matched hers 🥹 Swipe to see the impact, the performances, and a decade of @cocorocha showing up for DKMS 💛 Our 20th annual gala is 6 days away! NYC, here we come🗽 #DKMS

Twenty years. Twenty galas. One week to go 🎉 Every year, this night brings together people who showed up for blood cancer patients they've never met, and every year something happens that nobody in the room forgets. Year twenty is coming to New York City in 7 days, and we're counting down with the moments that got us here ✨

Remember Aaron? The former Marine Raider we shared when he was searching for a stem cell donor. 💙 He received his stem cell transplant, and 100 days later his biopsy came back with the news he'd been waiting on. Doctors call day 100 the first big gate, the point where the risk of serious complications drops way down. 🙌 Aaron turns 36 on soon, and he's calling it the birthday he almost didn't have 🎂

23 new names on the stem cell donor registry, all from one drive at UC Davis Hospital. 🙌 Somewhere out there, a patient waiting on a match could be one of those 23 swabs away from good news. Thank you, UC Davis, for opening the door 💙 Your school, workplace, or team could host one too. Send us a dm to get started!

25 people came out to Tuxbury Pond for the Jimmy Fund and left as potential stem cell donors. 🙌 A fundraiser for Dana Farber already has a lot of heart in it. Now 25 more people are on the registry, and any one of them could be the match someone is waiting on 💙 Have an event on your calendar? A DKMS drive can fit right in. Send us a DM to get started!

Meet Keisha 👋 She just donated her stem cells. Somewhere out there, someone just got a second chance because she said yes when her name came up. That's the whole thing about this registry. You sign up not knowing if you'll ever be called, and then one day you are, and you show up. Keisha showed up!