In September 2019, Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors attending Indiana University Bloomington organized a recruitment drive with the school’s Sigma Pi fraternity chapter. One of the 27 fraternity members who swabbed that day was Seth.
“I knew that I would be forever grateful if a donor gave someone close to me another chance at life,” said Seth. “I felt that I should help someone else, so I joined the registry. I wanted to be able to be that second chance if I matched with someone in need.”
Three years later, Seth was working from home when he got a call from a Florida area code.
“I answered and the woman on the other end explained that she was with Gift of Life and that I had matched with a 36-year-old woman battling acute myelogenous leukemia,” said Seth. “I was a bit surprised at first when I was contacted. I had almost forgotten I had registered. But, she explained that I was a match, and I felt donating was the right thing to do. I wanted to help in any way I could.”
After his phone call with Gift of Life ended, Seth told his mom who was very excited that he would be donating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) to someone in need.
“She was proud that I had chosen to be a part of something much bigger than myself,” said Seth.
Gift of Life made travel arrangements for him to donate PBSC at the Adelson Collection Center, a state-of-the-art facility located in Gift of Life’s headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. Donors can bring one companion with them on their donation trip, and Seth invited his mother.
“The Gift of Life people I worked with were very helpful,” said Seth. “They were accommodating during my travel to Florida and answered all of my questions. The collection center staff took very good care of me during the entire process. During my donation, I mostly watched TV and talked with my mom. My PBSC collection went well and was very similar to a plasma donation. The nurses made the process easy. I had no issues during my recovery and was back to normal the next day.”
Seth feels proud to have helped someone overcome blood cancer and get their second chance at life.
“I felt like it was the right thing to do for my patient,” said Seth. “She deserves to recover from leukemia. Giving someone the chance at beating cancer is life-changing, literally. It can give their families peace of mind, too. I encourage anyone thinking about joining to put themselves in the patient’s shoes. You have the amazing opportunity, if chosen, to make a lasting impact on someone’s life. Don’t be afraid to change someone’s life for the better.”
Seth, 24, is a graphic designer and resident of Indianapolis. He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington, where he was a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity. In his free time, Seth enjoys working out, watching college sports games, and being out in nature. He also loves working on new design projects.