Two cancer survivors had exciting and emotional meetings with their incredible donors at recent Project Life Movement (PLM) events, providing an inspiring example of what can result when volunteer donors join the registry. Such introductions only happen after one year has passed since the transplant, so they are highly anticipated occasions. Project Life Movement is a recruiting partner of Gift of Life.
Each October for the past five years, PLM has organized a campus-wide swabbing event at Boston College (BC) in partnership with the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), including a special event and a donor-recipient introduction. This year, the event was held on the 22nd with Boston College alumnus, Pro Football Hall of Fame NFL star linebacker – and PLM ambassador – Luke Kuechly, returning to campus for the day to encourage students to join the registry.
The multi-day drive itself was a tremendous success, with 500 potential new donors swabbing their cheeks to be tested as possible matches for patients in need.
That evening in the college’s Yawkey Center, Kuechly also served as the master of ceremonies and introduced two-time leukemia survivor Randall Ingram (above, left), 57, of Powder Springs, Ga., to the man who saved his life, Thomas Gregory, 21, a senior at Boston College.
“This was my second transplant for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia,” said Randall. “I’d received a transplant of my own stem cells 14 years ago, but when I was about to get a shoulder replacement in 2023, my blood work was not good – the cancer had returned. It didn’t take long at all to find a donor and I felt very blessed.”
Thomas had joined Gift of Life thanks to a PLM recruitment drive in November 2022. Just five months later he learned he was a match and would have the chance to save Randall’s life. But since transplants require anonymity for the first year, this was the first time the two men, now closely connected through shared stem cells, met in person.
“I was so shocked I actually matched someone, I actually thought the first notification was fake!” said Thomas. “But it came at the perfect time. I donated immediately after taking my final exams that semester. This experience has made me more appreciative of my health – and made me realize how easy it is to change someone’s life or even save it!”
“Saving the life of a blood cancer patient in need of their miracle match is so easy,” said PLM Executive Director Ann Henegar. “It all starts with a simple cheek swab. We have outstanding support from Boston College students and administrators, and the UGBC and BC Student Athlete Advisory Committee. This has become a BC tradition.
On November 19, a month after the annual Boston College event, Project Life Movement held its annual fundraising dinner in Charlotte, N.C. The highlight of the event was when Luke Kuechly introduced blood cancer survivor William Deckman (above, right), 68, a resident of Missouri, to the Boston College alumnus who saved his life, Connor Cademartori, 25, of New York. Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton also attended the dinner.
“Give me a hug!” said William as the two men embraced, surrounded by warm applause from the event’s guests. “I’m so excited to meet you – I have been waiting to thank you in person.”
“I am overjoyed to meet you,” said Connor. “I can’t wait to get to know your family as well.”
William was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2023, after not feeling like himself for a while.
“I was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome after being short of breath and exhausted for no clear reason,” said William. “I told my daughters I wasn’t feeling well, and they insisted I see the doctor immediately. The diagnosis was overwhelming, and I wanted time to process it, but they said, ‘There isn’t time.’ Their willpower helped me get my mindset ready for this journey.”
A search in the international registry quickly found a genetic match with Connor, who had joined Gift of Life in 2021 when one of his roommates organized a drive with PLM. He was excited to learn he would have the opportunity to help someone.
“My mom came to the donation at Gift of Life’s headquarters as my companion, then my dad flew in and we had a couple days together to enjoy the Florida weather,” said Connor. “Donating has opened my eyes to the amazing advances we have made in medicine and shown how impactful something as simple as swabbing your cheek can be for the patient, their family and friends.”
William and Connor look forward to continuing their new friendship.
“I plan to know him the rest of my life,” said William. “I am now more thankful and look at life differently. I want people who are diagnosed with cancer to know they should not give up! The transplant is worth everything it takes to make it happen.”
Project Life Movement (PLM), a recruiting partner of Gift of Life since 2018, works to increase the pool of potential blood stem cell and marrow donors in the registry by recruiting students at colleges and universities. Transplant centers request young donors 18-25 years old more than any other demographic, as younger donors produce better results for patients. More than 75 forms of blood cancer and inherited conditions can be treated via blood stem cell or marrow transplants.
“Partnering with Gift of Life allows us to reach students with a message of hope and action,” said Project Life Movement Executive Director Ann Henegar. “Together, we’re building a generation of donors who understand that saving a life can start right on their own campus.”
PLM has swabbed more than 52,000 college students since 2018, providing, to date, 204 transplants for patients in need that have transformed their lives.
Gift of Life thanks Project Life Movement for their ongoing commitment to expanding registry and making it possible for every patient to find a matching donor who can give them a second chance at life.