Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors (CAPs) at the University at Buffalo recently partnered with the campus Hillel chapter to host a five-day donor recruitment mega-drive.  CAPs Brandon Meyer, Arielle Arbel and Kat Bowers plus volunteers manned the swabbing tables from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from February 5 – 9. 

Since the student union has the most foot traffic on campus, and outdoor tabling is not a good option in Buffalo during the winter, the drive was set up inside the building.  The team used an active strategy, putting people not just behind the table, but out in front of it to ask people to stop and learn more. 

For transplants to be successful, the donor's tissue type called Human Leukocyte Antigens must match with the patient's, and matches between strangers are fairly rare. Only 30% of patients can find a donor within their family, leaving 70% of those in need of a transplant searching the registry for a stranger who matches them.  

“I’ve been involved with Gift of Life since June 2023, and it’s rewarding because you see change and advocate for people who have blood cancer,” said Brandon.  “Getting my first notification in November that someone I had swabbed matched a patient was really rewarding. This success made me want to host a mega-drive.  We had a table in a busy hallway where scores of students, professors and community members walk through each day. I asked everyone, ‘Do you want to save a life?’ I asked this of hundreds of people, and while many of them were thrown off by the question, many others got interested and signed up to join the registry.”  

Gift of Life is currently searching for donors for several patients, including Ignacio and Rose who are battling myelofibrosis and leukemia, respectively, and the team used their stories to explain the need for donors. 

The CAPs went into the week with the goal of swabbing 400 new donors and did an incredible job of surpassing that goal by a huge margin!  They added a total of 505 new donors to the registry!   One of the most exciting moments for the CAPs is when they are notified that someone they swabbed has matched a patient.

“When I got my first email letting me know that someone I swabbed was found as a match for a patient, I was awed at how real everything felt to me,” said Arielle. “I knew my work adding people to the registry was important and helpful in the long run, but at first, the actual impact it has on the individuals fighting these diseases felt distant to me. After receiving that email, I felt the gravity of what I was doing. My work was making a real difference in saving lives. All of a sudden, the hours of prep, time spent tabling, and time shipping out swabs held new importance to me. Since then, I've been more reflective and appreciative of my volunteering at Gift of Life, and all the behind-the-scenes work done by the company to give people back their lives!”

"As a new member of the team, this mega drive has been a completely eye-opening experience for me," said Kat. "The sheer number of people willing to take five minutes out of their day for the opportunity to help someone else was absolutely astounding. This was my first ever swab drive with Gift of Life, and although interacting with people on that level for hours was exhausting, the drive made it clear to me that even one person can make a difference in the world."

As Gift of Life’s recruitment coordinator for this team, Tzvi Greenberg worked with them to help get the best results possible during the drive.

“This drive is a great example of the power of a few people to make a massive impact,” said Tzvi, who coordinates with the Campus Ambassadors. “Normally, mega-drives require a dozen or more volunteers, but it is a testament to the abilities and motivation of our Buffalo CAPs that they were able to accomplish so much with fewer resources. We also thank Hillel for their years of ongoing participation in donor recruitment events with Gift of Life.”

Since 2019, recruitment efforts at the University at Buffalo have resulted in 10 donor matches for patients, and in 2023, a lifesaving transplant for a man diagnosed with myelodysplastic disorder. Many more are to come in the future!