It was during her sophomore year at Clemson University that Cyan made the decision leave the women’s soccer team to focus on academics. As a member of the women’s soccer team, Cyan was frequently at the Nieri Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center to study and meet with her advisors, but after leaving the team she did not find her having the need to visit the facility. Looking back on her experience, she is not sure why she was there the day that Project Life Movement was hosting a tabling event in the Center when she joined the donor registry, but she believes it was no coincidence.
Cyan joined the global registry on April 3, 2019 and received an email on January 16, 2020 stating that she was a potential match for a blood cancer patient in-need of a marrow transplant. After filling out the various health forms, completing a blood test, and traveling to Georgetown University Medstar Hospital for a complete physical exam, Cyan was ready to proceed with the donation process. However, she was told on March 18th that the patient was not stable enough for a transplant and that the donation would have to be postponed to early May.
During the first week of May, Cyan and a friend traveled back to Georgetown University Medstar Hospital for the donation. When asked about the procedure Cyan stated, “I was fairly nervous leading up to the transplant because my friend could not come into the hospital with me due to the pandemic, so I had to go alone. However, the nurses and doctors were super awesome and helped me feel more comfortable. If ever requested, I would do the donation again in a heartbeat!” Cyan has recovered from her life-saving donation and is excited to share her experience with others and is looking forward to meeting her patient in the future.