In September 2012, while at a blood drive being held at her synagogue in West Hartford, Conn., Sharon was given the opportunity to do much more. 

“I was already there to donate blood,” said Sharon. “But when I learned about the marrow registry, I figured why not take a couple of extra minutes and swab my cheek, too.” 

Ten years later, Sharon was parking her car at the grocery store when she received a call from Gift of Life. 

“I was surprised I matched, and I was excited to learn that I would be donating for a man in his 50s battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” said Sharon. “I swabbed in 2012, and in 2015 my mother passed away from myelodysplastic syndrome (a form of blood cancer), so I understood how important donating is. I have always been the type of person who feels you should help people, even if you get nothing out of it except the satisfaction of doing a good deed, so I was ready to go through with the process.” 

Sharon shared the good news with her husband and friends, all of whom were very supportive of her. 

After testing confirmed that Sharon was the best match for her recipient, Gift of Life made travel arrangements for her to donate peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in Boca Raton, Fla. at the Adelson Collection Center. Donors can bring one guest with them on their donation trip, and Sharon invited her husband, Eric. 

Stem cell collection is now the primary way these transplants are completed, with only ten percent of donors today being requested for bone marrow, usually for young children. For PBSC donation, blood is drawn from one arm, goes through the aphereis machine where the stem cells are collected, and the remaining blood is rewarmed and returned to the donor via their other arm. Donors are generally able to return to normal activities the next day, and their stem cells regenerate naturally over the next several weeks. 

“From the moment we walked into the collection center, the Gift of Life staff members were extremely friendly and helpful,” said Sharon. “They took exceptional care of me! My husband and I spent the donation time talking, watching TV, and taking a few pictures to send to friends. The process was painless and was much shorter than I anticipated. I was done before lunchtime! After donating, I felt totally normal and was able to enjoy a nice dinner out in downtown Delray Beach that night.”

Sharon feels that donating PBSC was a validating experience for her and her outlook. 

“I have been donating platelets for many years before I got the call to be a PBSC donor,” said Sharon. “This process was similar to that, but the whole experience still helped confirm my conviction of doing good for others.” 

Sharon believes it is important for everyone to join the registry and donate if invited to help someone in need. 

“It only takes a minute to swab and, if you are a match, the process is easy and painless,” said Sharon. “You can give the gift of life to someone who desperately needs it. It is such a simple act that could mean the world to someone else. Donating is such a blessing. Who knows, you may even get called 10 years after registering like I did!” 

Sharon, 59, graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she was also a member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. She now lives in Connecticut with her husband Eric and she works as a payroll specialist. In her free time, Sharon enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time with her children and grandchild.