Adam Cole swabbed his cheek and joined the bone marrow donor registry at age 22, during a Birthright trip to Israel. He didn’t give it much thought: “It was an easy decision, really, and I didn’t think much of it at the time. The representatives from Gift of Life were compelling, and I, along with many of my peers on the trip, were happy to join the registry.”
The Sudbury, Massachusetts native was surprised and thrilled when he got the call he was a match. He explained, “When I got the call, I was literally ecstatic. I found out that I had the chance to save someone’s life by donating blood stem cells, so naturally, I was genuinely excited to begin the process.”
Adam has used the story of his donation to encourage others to join the registry. To potential donors who may be reluctant, he says, “It’s not that bad. I’m probably a little biased because medical procedures don’t bother me, but I was back to 100 percent in three weeks, which is an easy and small sacrifice to make for such a big impact.” As for being a hero, he said, “I feel like I was doing what I would expect most people to do.”
He added, “The people at Gift of Life were amazing to work with. Everyone, from the people who called me once a month to check up with me, to the woman who originally informed me of being a match, could not have been more helpful and enjoyable to work with.”
Adam is a private equity investment associate in Sudbury, MA. He enjoys sports, food, electronic music, positive psychology, and entrepreneurship. He has run a drive for Gift of Life and plans to host additional events in the future.
