Noah, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, was at a student government meeting when a Project Life Movement campus ambassador gave a presentation on the need to build the Global Stem Cell/Marrow Registry. He had heard of the registry before, but was curious about the donation process, if he was called to be a match. After learning more about the process, he knew that he wanted to sign up, as it “doesn’t hurt” to be on the registry. A few months later, Noah received a call from Gift of Life, Project Life Movement’s clinical partner, letting him know that he was found to be a match for a patient. Without a doubt in his mind, Noah agreed to donate his stem cells for this blood cancer patient.
In the months leading up to his donation, Noah remained in close contact with the Gift of Life team as well as the nurses who coordinated his transplant in preparation to the donation. He is interested in medicine and research, so learning about this side of treatment was particularly fascinating to him. Noah said that all of the team members that supported him through the process were critical to this rewarding experience.
Once it was finally time for his donation, Noah and his mother flew out to New York City, excited for the day to arrive. As his donation day approached, he began to realize more and more the extent of what this would mean for his patient. After a 6-hour donation, Noah had given all the stem cells necessary to help save this patient’s life. He reported being tired once he was finished, but quickly recovered after some rest.
When reflecting on his experience, Noah said that this donation has taught him some important life lessons. He has been reminded to be grateful for his time with family and for the opportunities he has been given. He knows that his patient may have waited for a much longer time if he had not signed up for the registry and is proud that he was their miracle match. Noah would like to share with anyone that is hesitant to donate that we rarely have the opportunity to be selfless for a short period of time while making such an impact for someone else, and that he will forever cherish his experience with Project Life Movement.