Mason joined Gift of Life’s registry as a volunteer donor during a Man Up Movember recruitment drive at Mississippi State University in November 2016. “Movember” is the annual, internationally-recognized month for promoting men’s health awareness, celebrated each November. It’s a perfect occasion for Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors to hold a drive to educate their fellow students about joining the registry. 

“I am fascinated by immunology and wanted to use the strong immune system I was blessed with to help others,” said Mason.
Nearly five years after joining the registry, Mason, now 28, got his chance when he came up during a search as the match for a man in his early 70s battling myelodysplastic syndrome. 

“I was at home on a leave of absence from doing humanitarian aid work when a Gift of Life donor services coordinator called me,” said Mason. “I was completely shocked! I was called as a potential match years ago, but I didn’t donate to that patient, so I didn’t expect to get another opportunity.”  

Mason had long been interested in blood stem cell donation, and was thrilled to be able to take part in such an incredible medical process for fighting cancer. 

“It’s such an elegant solution to a really tough set of medical problems, I wanted to be part of it” he said. “My professor discussed it in my immunology class, but I hadn’t really thought about how it could save a life, just that it could treat certain complex illnesses. I now understand that many of those illnesses are life-threatening and transplants can often save the patients’ lives.” 

Helping people and saving lives are core values for Mason, who works as a biomedical engineer and plans to spend his career helping to solve difficult health care challenges. 

“My mom is a dialysis nurse and I hope to someday help develop a portable dialysis machine, so people don’t have to sit in a seat for hours every week for their treatment,” said Mason. 

During his donation Mason rested for a while, caught up on some TV shows, and called a few friends. He was interested to learn that the apheresis machine, which collects the stem cells from the circulating blood, rewarms the remaining blood before returning it to the donor. 

“I felt pampered and cared for every step of the way,” he said. “If anything, the accommodations were too nice compared to what I’m accustomed to when traveling.” 

Although friends and family members have hailed him as a hero, he wants to remind people that, “This is a great experience anyone can have if they just register with Gift of Life and are called as a donor.  It was a dream come true, so knowing that sometimes what you wish for actually happens is nice.” 

Mason wishes his recipient the best, but also feels very modest about what he’s done. 

“I would meet my recipient if he wanted to do so,” he said. “I would be uncomfortable if he saw me as a hero, because I didn’t do anything but sit in a chair for a few hours.  Being a donor is a fantastic opportunity and everyone should get swabbed in the hope of helping someone else.” 

He also realized the importance of everyone joining the registry so that all patients can receive a lifesaving transplant.
“Even though I am what I’d consider a common genetic heritage, I was still needed as a donor,” said Mason. “Everyone should register.” 

Mason is a resident of Winona, Miss., where he works as a biomedical engineer. In his free time, he enjoys playing music, video games, and building flintlock guns from scratch, including hand carving parts like the stock from oak.