Jo, 28, was in the registry less than six months before he matched a woman in her early 30s diagnosed with leukemia. “I swabbed in 2025 at a donor drive held at the student center at Colorado State,” said Jo. "It only took two or three minutes to sign up, and voila! Later that year, I got to donate! I thought when I signed up, ‘Oh, this won’t happen, but it’s a nice thing to do,’ and then I got the call and thought about the impact I could have. It made this a lot more tangible and real than it felt at the sign-up table." Jo traveled to Florida to donate at Gift of Life’s Adelson Collection Center in Boca Raton. Donors incur no costs for donating; their travel, hotel, transportation, and needed medical exams are provided, as well as a meal stipend. “I’m from Colorado, which is landlocked, and this was my first time in Florida,” he said. “I went to the beach, and now I understand why people adore it. I also went out to dinner and dancing for a little bit and had a really good time.” But Jo was here to save a life, and that was top of mind. “Everybody here has been so nice, and everything is so well put together – the collection center is gorgeous,” said Jo. “I’m grateful for all the people who dedicate their life to doing this work. As a donor, you’re giving of yourself, so you need to have the bandwidth and the availability to do so. If you’re in good health and could donate, there’s no reason not to. The process has been painless, and at the end, if you can save somebody’s life, why wouldn’t you?”

Veronica, 27, was a student at the University of Florida in 2019 when she joined the registry. “I found out about Gift of Life at an American Institute of Chemical Engineers event, and just did a random cheek swab,” she said. “I felt it was a good chance to do something positive.” Six years went by before she matched a patient, but she was eager to help when the call came. “I wasn’t expecting it after that much time, so it was really cool,” said Veronica. “Just the fact that you’re obviously saving someone’s life and it is so rare for people to get a match through their own family and friends, I thought it was worth doing.” She is correct about matching being rare: only 30% of patients can find a match within their family; the 70% majority of patients must search the registry for a stranger who shares their unique immune system profile. Veronica was the best match for a man in his early 50s diagnosed with acute leukemia. “Before donating, I spent time at the resort and had a nice dinner,” she said. “If you join the registry and get the call that you could save a life, talk to the person who called you – they’re really helpful and will answer all your questions.”

Lauren, 28, recently donated stem cells to give a man in his 70s diagnosed with leukemia his best chance at recovery. “I was on a Birthright Israel trip in 2018 when Gift of Life made a presentation to our group, and I swabbed to join the registry,” she said. “Even though seven years had gone by, I was very excited to hear that I matched a patient.” She was ready to get started and eager to donate from the moment she got the call. “I just immediately knew that I would say yes,” said Lauren. “It’s very exciting to be able to help someone in this way.” Once her collection was scheduled, Lauren arrived a few days early to receive the preparation shots of filgrastim to help mobilize her stem cells. Filgrastim tells the bone marrow to create more stem cells, but it can also make some donors feel achy. “For me, there were a couple days where I was a little uncomfortable,” she said. “Donating also means doing some blood tests and getting medical exams, but in the grand scheme of things, I definitely recommend doing it. I hope these stem cells will give my recipient hope of recovery and a longer life, with time to enjoy it. I hope I get to learn how this has turned out for them.”