When Anthony finally got the call that he would be able to donate stem cells and help a stranger, he was incredibly excited.

“I joined the registry in 2018 at Florida State University,” said Anthony. “I was walking to class and had a spare 2-3 minutes, and since the swabbing process was so quick and it was a simple way to help someone in need, I had no reason not to!” 

He had a preliminary blood draw in 2022 to test if he was a good match for another patient, but it was not to be.

“I was not needed that first time,” said Anthony. “I think they found a better match for that patient.”

But this time it was his turn.

“I was at work when I learned I was a match,” he said. “I missed the initial call, but when I listened to the voicemail, I was so excited! Just the odds of matching with someone are so slim, but it actually happened.”  His recipient is a man in his late 60s diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer that results in malformed blood cells that don’t work correctly. It can progress to become leukemia if untreated.

He immediately shared the news with his boyfriend, Travis, who was a bit concerned at first about what “being matched with a patient” meant, and what was involved in the donation process.

“After speaking with Gift of Life’s coordinator, I was able to explain the process and put him at ease,” said Anthony. “I’m also in medical school now, and when I gave them the letter from Gift of Life about the need to take a couple days off classes, there was plenty of support from them and no further questions.”

Gift of Life arranges for donors who come to its Adelson Collection Center in Boca Raton, Fla., to stay at a nearby resort on the beach in the beautiful downtown area of Delray Beach – a “donation vacation”!   Donors may also bring a companion with them, so Travis accompanied Anthony to the collection center. A driver brings donors back and forth, and they receive a meal stipend as well as a gourmet lunch and snacks during their collection. 

“The donation process itself was very streamlined,” said Anthony. “Since you’re sitting in one place, the facility gives you plenty of options to stay busy, from playing games on the Nintendo Switch to watching shows on Disney+ and other services. I was entertained the entire time, and people checked on me every 30 minutes or so to see if I needed anything.”

Since he is a medical student, the process itself was fascinating to Anthony. 

“The nurse talked me through how apheresis works, and they kept me updated on what time I would likely be done,” he said. “Afterward, my recovery was really easy. I was back to work the next day, so in my experience, there really was no need for recovery time.”

Stem cell donor Anthony (r) with his dog Ember and boyfriend Travis. 

Back on campus, Anthony’s friends and peers had plenty of questions for him and were impressed that he was able to help someone fight cancer with a bag of blood stem cells. But despite all this, Anthony’s mind was on his recipient the entire time.

“I realized what I was doing meant a lot to someone,” he said. “I would love to meet my recipient. He has a part of me now, and I want to see how much better he’s doing following the transplant. Sure, donating itself is slightly uncomfortable, but you get to help someone in need.”

Anthony, 25, is a medical student at Lincoln Memorial University, and plans to begin his Family Medicine residency this fall.  He lives in Tampa, Fla., and loves exploring coffee shops, running with a local club and taking his dog, Ember, to the dog park.