During the pandemic, most colleges held remote classes. Gift of Life's Campus Ambassadors (CAPs) had to get creative in running donor recruitment drives on their college campuses, as in-person events were not allowed. In February 2021, at the height of the pandemic, CAPs at Hofstra University held an online information session for the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, providing the brothers with links to order swab kits sent to their dorms or homes, to be completed and returned to the registry. One of those who ordered a kit was Mason. 

“I decided to join the registry because I have been a long-standing blood donor,” said Mason. “Hearing the incredible success stories that have changed lives sparked something in me. I wanted to be a part of the cause and help to save a life as well.” 

The next year, while in the last semester of his undergraduate degree, Mason received a phone call from a number he didn’t recognize. 

“I was shadowing an audiologist when I got the call,” said Mason. “I excused myself and answered. That’s when I was told that I was a match for a 22-year-old woman battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I remember being so excited that I could make a difference in this person’s life.” 

Following his conversation with Gift of Life, Mason told his APO chapter. 

“Everyone was super supportive and excited to see what the donation process was going to be like,” said Mason. “My friends, family and community are proud that I was able to do this in order to help someone else. Coming from a small town, acts of kindness are cherished and celebrated.”

For his donation, Gift of Life coordinated with Mason and flew him down to Gift of Life’s headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. so he could donate at the Adelson Collection Center. The stem cell collection process is called apheresis, and normally lasts four to six hours. While the donor sits in a specially designed comfortable chair, blood is drawn from one arm, goes through the aphresis machine where the stem cells are collected in a sterile bag, and the remaining blood is rewarmed and returned to the donor through the other arm. 

On the day of his donation, Mason arrived at the Adelson Collection Center where he was greeted by center staff who explained the process to him and set him up in his donor collection suite. 

“Honestly, it was great,” said Mason. “The suite had a game system and a TV to keep me occupied during the donation. The staff made it a priority to ensure I was comfortable and were caring and supportive during the whole process. They took the time to make me feel important and celebrate this incredible opportunity and make. Recovery was easy, and I was feeling normal shortly after the donation and explored Boca Raton and Delray Beach.”  

Mason feels that donating has left a meaningful mark on his life. 

“It pushed me to continue giving back to others in times of need,” he said. “Thinking back on this experience makes me excited for my own professional career in health care.” 

Mason encourages others interested in becoming a donor to trust the process. 

“If you decide to go on the registry, make that commitment and see it all the way through if selected,” said Mason. “You may have the opportunity to save someone’s life, it doesn’t get better than that. My donation was truly the experience of a lifetime, and I would love to do it again if another match comes up.” 

Mason, 23, a resident of Boonville, N.Y., is a doctoral student studying audiology at the Long Island Audiology Consortium. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University where he was also a member of the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. In his free time, Mason enjoys bowling, traveling and volunteering in his community.