Emma, 22, swabbed her cheek to join the registry in 2023 at the University of South Florida in Tampa at a recruitment drive organized by Delta Gamma sorority. “I was in my sophomore year, and it was just something I did in the moment, I never really expected to be called back," said Emma. "I was so surprised and it was really cool to find out that I was a match! My recipient is a man in his 60s with leukemia. I know it is so rare for someone to find a compatible donor and that it’s important to just go for it.”  For transplants to work effectively, the donor and recipient must share stem cell compatibility determined by inherited factors in the immune system, similar to the way we inherit hair and eye color. “People should definitely get swabbed because you never know, you could help save someone and this is the only way to find out,” said Emma. “You can change and even save someone’s life. Donating at Gift of Life’s collection center was a good experience, and while I was there, I got to visit Vinny’s Café for the world-famous Chicken Caesar Wrap – that was fun!” But Emma did not lose sight of her mission. “I would definitely like to meet my recipient someday,” she said. “I want to learn about him and everything he’s been through, I’m sure it’s a lot.”

Carter, 25, wasn’t sure about donating at first, but after doing some research on the process, he decided it was well worth doing. “I joined the registry in 2023 while I was in college at Austin Peay State in Tennessee,” said Carter. “When I got the call that I matched a patient, a man in his 60s with myelodysplastic disorder, I realized I didn’t really know anything about the process. I did some research and once I figured out I would be saving his life, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”  He also felt that Gift of Life treated him extremely well and took great care of him. “They’ve been excellent with communications and planning, setting up all the travel and always having cars ready for me when I needed to go somewhere,” said Carter . “They answered every question for me and my family and have been very cooperative and helpful.”  He hopes others will also step up and have a great experience while saving a patient’s life. “To be honest I was hesitant at first, but if it were me or one of my family, I would want someone to donate for us,” he said. “Anyone would want help if they were in this situation, and I felt I wanted to do something for others.

Jesse, 20, joined the registry through a 2024 Senior Swab registration drive at Pomfret School in Pomfret, Conn.  “When I got the call that I could possibly donate I thought it was spam at first, but it turned out to be Gift of Life,” said Jesse. “I was told I matched a man in his 40s diagnosed with leukemia, so I went ahead and had the blood test to confirm I would be the best donor for him.”  “This is for a great cause, and I felt like I had to do it,” said Jesse. Gift of Life provides travel not only for donors, but also for them to bring a companion, so Jesse’s father joined him on his trip to Gift of Life’s collection center in Boca Raton, Fla. “The people there were awesome and we had just a great experience," said Jesse. “Dad and I are from up north and it was very cold there when we left, so we got to go to the beach and enjoy this nice weather. I also met up with a friend from high school who lives here now, so the whole trip has been good.” After donating went so smoothly, Jesse would like others to have the same opportunity. “Everyone should do it,” he said. “I always believe in giving back to people, that’s who I am as a person. I recommend doing this, you could save a life, and it’s a special thing Gift of Life is doing here.”

You, too, could save someone's life.

Click here to order a swab kit and get the registration process started!