Thousands of Nashville Predators fans witnessed the emotional introduction of a blood cancer survivor to her lifesaving Gift of Life Marrow Registry stem cell donor on February 27 at Bridgestone Arena. The event was part of the Nashville Predators’ ongoing Hockey Fights Cancer Night campaign, a program started by the National Hockey League in 1998 to raise awareness. 

Transplant recipient Jeannie Mitchell (above, right) had been feeling tired for a few months when, in 2023, she went to her doctor for a routine physical. Believing her exhaustion was due to the normal activities every parent has with a teenage daughter in her last year of high school, she wasn’t particularly concerned until her bloodwork showed a low white blood cell count. After a repeat blood test showed that her cell counts had dropped in only a few weeks, she was sent to a hematologist who ordered a bone marrow biopsy, resulting in the diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome.

“I was in disbelief,” said Jeannie. “I felt fine other than being tired. I remember asking my doctor how often these tests were wrong. My doctor reassured me that although it was a shock to get this kind of diagnosis, because I was otherwise doing well I would be a good candidate for a stem cell transplant. I asked him what if no donor is found, and he said I would have less than two years.”

Thankfully, Jeannie’s matching donor was already in Gift of Life’s registry and was looking forward to her chance to donate.

Audrey Heuser joined the registry at a recruitment drive in 2019 at the University of Oklahoma, where she was enrolled, believing that it was a great opportunity to help people in need.

“I was driving to Washington D.C. for an economics colloquium when I received that call that I was a match,” said Audrey. “I was shocked but excited about the opportunity. They said that this case was urgent and I would likely be donating within the month.”

They were right. Twenty-three days after that phone call, Audrey was in Boca Raton, Fla., donating peripheral blood stem cells at Gift of Life’s beautiful state-of-the-art Adelson Collection Center (below).

“Gift of Life took great care of me,” said Audrey. “During donation, my travel companion and I watched a movie and ate lunch. Afterward, we walked along the beach and went out to dinner. Recovery was a breeze! The day after donating I flew back to Philadelphia just in time for a major law school event, and I was able to participate without any issues.”

Audrey and Jeannie were not able to learn each other’s identities for the first year after the transplant due to federal regulations. Then when the opportunity arose, Gift of Life was delighted to offer them the chance to meet in person, thanks to the Nashville Predators.

Both Jeannie and Audrey were excited and nervous as their special moment approached, but they were each thrilled to meet the person they are now so deeply connected with. During the introduction, surrounded by the cheering hockey crowd, the pair shared a warm hug.

After their introduction, the two were interviewed during the intermission. They look forward to beginning their journey of getting to know each other.

“I felt an instant connection with her,” said Jeannie. “It was as if she were my daughter. Every day means so much to me now. When I look at my children, my family, my grandbaby, I think of how I would never have gotten to see those things without her saving my life.”

When asked what made her want to donate, Heuser stated, “It's such a simple way to give back. You never know whose life you can change.”

Gift of Life also had recruitment tables set up at the arena where fans could complete a swab kit and join the registry for their own chance to save a life. The drive was manned by Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors from Vanderbilt University and volunteers from Hillel.

Audrey, 25, graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of the Alpha Sigma Kappa sorority, and the Villanova Law School. She lives in Houston where she works as an attorney. In her free time, Audrey enjoys sewing, baking and hiking.

Jeannie lives in Arkansas with her husband Tommy. She graduated from Arkansas State University and is now in the university's  Heritage Studies doctoral program. In her free time, Jeannie enjoys art, photography, and researching the history and culture of the Arkansas Delta Region of the Mississippi River.

Many thanks to the Nashville Predators for their ongoing support of Gift of Life's mission!