Every year, Vanderbilt University holds “Common Cups Service Week” to help first-year students become accustomed to the campus and their housing unit. The friendly competition between residence houses includes opportunities to participate in public service, and Campus Ambassadors from Gift of Life Marrow Registry often have recruitment tables set up where freshmen can swab and join the registry. That’s how Mary-Margaret, known as Maggie, found Gift of Life. 

“I swabbed during my freshman year in 2021 in the midst of COVID,” said Maggie. “They were handing out waffles at the Gift of Life table which was really exciting for a hungry freshman! It seemed like a no-brainer, if I could help someone by joining the registry, then I would absolutely do it. The Gift of Life team is very active on this campus, and the students who are running it are awesome.” 

Two years later, Maggie was doing an international study semester in London when she got an email and a phone call at the same time: it was Gift of Life reaching out with exciting news.

“They told me I was a match for a man in his 50s diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, and I was like, ‘Whoa!’” she said.  “I had almost forgotten I swabbed, but I wanted to donate. I only had a month left in England and then I would be headed home, so the donation coordinator worked with me to arrange the medical tests for after I got back to the U.S.” 

Maggie’s family, some of whom are also registry members, were very excited for her to have the chance to donate. 

“My mom is still on the registry and was so excited for me,” said Maggie. “She thinks organizations who do work like this are the best. So many people at Vandy have swabbed but we never knew anyone who’s matched before. It was a crazy moment, with my friends saying, ‘Wow, you actually matched with someone!’”

“I’m very close with my grandmother, and she thought it was the most amazing thing that could happen,” Maggie added. “And all my professors were very accommodating about the schedule for donating.” 

Maggie had to take two days off right before final exams to travel to Florida for the donation.  

“Mom and dad took turns being with me there in Boca Raton,” said Maggie. “We were coming in from different states, our home is in Texas. My dad was with me for the Neupogen injections to get ready for donating, and mom came with me for the actual donation.” 

Neupogen is used with stem cell donors to encourage the production of extra stem cells, which move into the circulating blood for collection through the apheresis machine. Blood is drawn from one arm, the stem cells are separated out by the machine, and the remaining blood returns to the donor through their other arm.  

“During my donation, I chatted with my mom, I was close to wrapping up the semester and I’m a senior so there was a lot to talk about,” said Maggie. “We also watched some TV and the whole thing just flew by.” Maggie’s collection took about six hours, and she felt it went very smoothly.  

“They also set you up so nicely at the hotel and give you everything you might need,” she said. “The hotel is in Delray Beach which is a great place to walk about. I was coming to Florida from the cold weather in Tennessee and it was pretty warm there, so we had a nice couple of days.” 

Donating to a man who is battling to survive blood cancer has given Maggie a fresh perspective. 

“There was so much going on at the time I was donating I don’t think I fully realized how big of a deal it is,” she said. “But during Christmas break, you tend to think through the year you just had, and I realized what a cool opportunity it was to help someone in that way. My dad has multiple sclerosis and is about the same age as my recipient. I keep thinking that if it was something that could help my dad, I would absolutely want that person to donate. It would be great for all the people impacted. Donating is definitely a wonderful experience.” 

She has more incredible experiences on the way in her future: Maggie will graduate from Vanderbilt this spring and is waiting to hear from the law schools she has applied to for this fall.  

"I'm pursuing a public interest law career,” she said. “There is a lot of work to be done.” 

Maggie, 21, is from McKinney, Texas, and is a sister in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Although her studies keep her extremely busy, she likes spending time with her friends, reading and enjoying the outdoors.  She plans to begin law school this fall.