Carson was fascinated by a presentation she saw in her sophomore year made by her Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity sister and Gift of Life Campus Ambassador, Zoe Kelley. In February 2022, they were both students at Miami University (Ohio), but Zoe shared an experience with her sisters that made a big impression on Carson: she had donated blood stem cells to help save a man’s life. 

“I decided to join the registry after hearing about Zoe’s donation experience,” said Carson. “Although I don’t know anyone who had blood cancer, her story of the impact she felt from donating and the potential impact on her recipient helped me decide to join Gift of Life.”

 Zoe felt like there was still more she could do to help people that need stem cell transplants.  “I got to talk to Carson about my process—it felt good to be able to tell her exactly what she could expect for the entire process and ease any worries she had about donating.”

Just over two years later, Carson received a call during the middle of her accounting class. Although she couldn’t pick up the phone immediately, she saw the follow-up email that came in telling her she’d been identified as a match for a patient, a woman in her 60s diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

“At first, I was so surprised I honestly did not know how to feel,” said Carson. “I had forgotten about joining the registry, and was a mix of excited, emotional and nervous. When I first told my parents about the message and explained the opportunity to donate stem cells, they were excited but also curious about the process and wanted to know more about Gift of Life.”

Her donor services coordinator worked with Carson and her family to answer all their questions, provide background on Gift of Life’s history and mission and explain the process in detail. Donors may also speak to someone who has already donated so they can hear first-hand what the experience is like.

“Ultimately, my family, friends and college professors were extremely supportive,” said Carson. “They sent me countless messages of love and support and were eager to hear about my experience afterward.”

Carson’s professors also generously gave her a full week off classes so she could travel to Gift of Life’s in-house Adelson Collection Center in Boca Raton, Fla. for her donation. Donors often arrive several days early, stay in a resort on Delray Beach and receive the needed Neupogen shots from a nurse who visits their hotel room. The daily shot for the four days before donating helps the body produce more blood stem cells and encourages them to move into the circulating blood for collection.

Donors are allowed to bring a guest – a family member or friend – with them, and Carson invited her father to be her companion.

“I was very nervous before donating, but the staff were extremely kind and welcoming, and the donation process was quick and efficient,” said Carson. “During the collection I talked with my dad, we watched one of my favorite TV shows, Suits, and I texted updates to some family and friends. Afterward, I initially felt tired, but I was nearly 100% the next day.”

Carson’s experience in the collection center was a good one, and she feels like her perspective on human relationships has changed as well.

“Donating made me think about life and our relationships with strangers in ways I had not appreciated before,” said Carson. “Even though I have not met the patient and have only limited information about them, the donation process allowed me to see this connection that all of us have with each other through the shared experience called “life.” Life truly is a gift, and good health should not be taken for granted. We should value each other’s lives just as much as we value our own.”

Carson, 23, is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, and is now in in her first year of law school at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington. She is a sister in the Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity.  Carson enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, reading and outdoor activities.