Samantha, 27, wanted to join the registry from the time she was in her early teens. “My great-uncle needed bone marrow, and my grandmother became his donor. Then when I was 12 years old, our close family friend, ‘Grandma’ Suzanne, also needed a marrow transplant.  I tried to swab to see if I was a match for her, but I was too young to register.”  Samantha got her chance to join Gift of Life after she turned 18. “When I went on Birthright to tour Israel, Gift of Life was there!” she said. “I was finally old enough, so I got swabbed for the registry and have been on it now for eight years. I was so excited to learn that I was a match; my recipient is a man in his late 60s diagnosed with myelodysplastic disorder, and it means so much to donate to someone because of the ties with my family.”  Gift of Life encourages donors to bring a companion with them for their collection day, so Samantha brought her mom to Florida with her. “I was really excited, and we decided to extend our stay so we could have some fun after the donation,” said Samantha. “My boyfriend joined us, and he went shark diving twice! We went to Miami and the Everglades, as well as Biscayne Bay, seeing some of the touristy things.” Like many donors, Samantha finds needles a bit daunting. “I don’t like shots, I don’t like giving blood, but I have reminded myself that the person I’m giving to is going through much more than this simple process,” she said. “Thinking of my recipient is what really put it in perspective for me. I feel that if I could help them, that would also change my life. Having that positive impact on someone is worthwhile.”

William, 26, joined the registry during a Swab At Your Job drive at his workplace in New York City. “Gift of Life came to my office to invite people to enter the registry, and they offered cookie-cake,” said William. “Of course, I wanted a piece, so I swabbed my cheek and the rest is history.” William also had a deeper, more serious motivation. “It’s definitely worth helping someone in need,” he said. His recipient is a man in his early 60s diagnosed with myelodysplastic disorder. “My company was so supportive about giving me the time off, and I’m happy Gift of Life was able to find someone that I could help by making the stem cell donation,” he said. “They were also great at taking care of everything – travel, hotel, and all the transportation – plus they answered all my questions. I have felt comfortable and supported throughout the collection process.”  His trip also gave him a chance to visit South Florida. “I had a wonderful time there and also enjoyed some good local seafood while exploring the area.”

Ryan, 27, recently donated stem cells to save the life of a man in his mid-50s diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. “I was called once before,” said Ryan. “But it turned out I wasn’t the best match for that patient, so getting a second call just felt absolutely great – it was a joy to be able to help somebody in their time of need.”  Ryan joined the registry as an undergraduate at Kansas State University. “I completed my swab kit in 2017 during a recruitment drive at my fraternity house, Delta Sigma Phi,” he said. “Then when I came to Florida to donate, my mother came along as my ‘donation day companion,’ and then my wife flew in later that night and joined us. We went to the beach after I donated and had some family time together.”  Ryan is not always comfortable with medical procedures, but he overcame this feeling to help his recipient. “I just put my dislike of needles behind me,” he said. “This was just a short period of time – a few hours – to give someone a new lease on life, and that’s the most important thing. If you look at it from that frame of mind, it’s very easy to say yes to becoming a donor.”

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