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Mandi Schwartz Foundation helps bone marrow recipient find donor

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Jaden Schwartz's sister Mandi died in 2011 after battling cancer. The Schwartz family started a foundation in her honor to match cancer patients to bone marrow donors. Mike Tirico tells the story of a life-saving match.

After a failed bone marrow drive, Mandi Schwartz, sister of St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz, passed away on April 3, 2011 after battling cancer.

Jaden Schwartz continues to wear number 17 in honor of his sister, but that isn’t the only way that the family (and hockey world in general) have honored Mandi’s memory. The family and friends created The Mandi Schwartz Foundation in part to raise awareness for bone marrow drives, and the video above captures an absolutely touching story of one of its most heartwarming successes.

During a Blues game, bone marrow donor Michael Hellrich got to meet bone marrow recipient Regan Brown, and they both met Jaden Schwartz, along with other members of the Schwartz family. Brown’s tearful meeting could very well make things dusty/allergenic for you, too, as its a beautiful, emotional moment.

Both the Bruins and Blues have players who give you reasons to root for them, largely for what they do off the ice. As another example, Blues defenseman Colton Parayko’s relationship with 11-year-old fan Laila Anderson has been one of the best stories of this postseason.

Game 6 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final is currently airing on NBC (stream here).

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.