On February 16, the University of South Carolina’s Delta Zeta Sorority transformed a chapter meeting into a powerful launch of its annual Sweet Caroline stem cell and marrow donor drives—rallying sisters to honor Caroline Boles Terry’s legacy by taking action and helping to save lives.
During the event, which was organized by Project Life Movement, a recruitment partner of Gift of Life, one of the sorority’s own sisters, Whitney Wilks, was introduced to the woman whose life she saved, Beth Rodgers.
The two were introduced by Project Life Movement Executive Director Ann Henegar, who shared their stories.
Whitney joined the registry in February 2020 while she was volunteering at her first Sweet Caroline drive as a new member of the sorority. Three years later, she learned she was a match for a woman diagnosed with leukemia.
That patient was Beth Rodgers, who had been experiencing shortness of breath for several months, and when she got bloodwork done at a doctor’s office, she was sent to the ER for an immediate transfusion. Her diagnosis was leukemia.
“I remember saying to the doctor, ‘People still get that?’ because it sounds like an illness from the early 1900s,” said Beth. “My sisters were disappointed that they were not matches for me.”
But Whitney was already in Gift of Life’s registry and was an excellent match for Beth.
“I believe I got an email while I was at work,” said Whitney. “At the time, we had just lost my best friend’s mom, who was about the same age as my recipient. I thought if it were my mom, I’d want someone to do this for me.”
Whitney’s workplace has a policy for transplant donations, and she was given five days off to donate.
Now, more than two years after the transplant, the first meeting was emotional and heartfelt, as they hugged and could not stop smiling.
“I will never be able to repay Whitney, but I will treasure her gift of stem cells to me forever,” said Beth.
“I am very happy that it has all worked out and Beth is okay,” said Whitney. “It just shows that you never know when you can make an impact in someone’s life.”
Whitney and Beth look forward to continuing their new friendship.
Project Life Movement (PLM), a recruiting partner of Gift of Life since 2018, works to increase the pool of potential blood stem cell and marrow donors in the registry by recruiting students at colleges and universities. Transplant centers request young donors, 18-25 years old, more than any other demographic, as younger donors produce better results for patients. More than 75 forms of blood cancer and inherited conditions can be treated via blood stem cell or marrow transplants.
“Partnering with Gift of Life allows us to reach students with a message of hope and action,” said Director Henegar. “Together, we’re building a generation of donors who understand that saving a life can start right on their own campus.”
PLM has swabbed more than 55,000 college students since 2018, providing, to-date, 215 life-transforming transplants for patients in need.
Gift of Life thanks Project Life Movement for their ongoing commitment to the mission to save lives.