In 2019, Mary missed a Gift of Life donor registration drive on campus at Florida Gulf Coast University because she was in class, but she really wanted to be in the registry, so she took the initiative to find the website and ordered herself a swab kit online.

“Being a living donor is something that has always appealed to me, because why not help someone if you can?” said Mary. “When I learned about Gift of Life, it was an easy way to connect with people who might need my help.”

Six years went by after she registered, and then Mary finally received a call about donating: she was a match for a girl in her late teens diagnosed with leukemia, and her stem cells could help give this patient a chance to defeat blood cancer.

“I had forgotten I joined the registry and thought it was a scam call at first,” said Mary. “But thankfully, the coordinator who emailed, texted and called me knew exactly when I had swabbed and how I got my kit. It jolted my memory, and then I was elated! What an opportunity to help save someone’s life!”

She was so excited she told the first people she saw – her friends at the gym – that she would be donating.

“My friend Ellie had just donated a kidney earlier in the year, so she was extra excited for me to have this opportunity,” said Mary. “My husband Evan thought it was a true blessing to be able to help someone in this way.”

Mary is not new to helping others; she is an occupational therapist at a clinic specializing in helping patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The nurse giving her the preparation injections prior to donating came right to the clinic to administer them, making Mary’s life much easier.

In addition to the physical preparation of receiving filgrastim shots to help the bone marrow make additional stem cells for donating, Mary took on a personal pre-donation challenge.

“I was already in training and preparation for a half-marathon run, and my first filgrastim injection was scheduled to take place in the morning right after the 13.1-mile race!” she said. “Knowing that I was about to potentially save someone’s life motivated me, and I actually got a personal best record for my half-marathon time. I have the medal and hope to one day give it to my recipient, because it was her situation that fueled my desire to run 100% that morning.”

Her next objective was to help her husband care for their four young children while she left town to donate, but family members stepped up to pitch in.

“My sister and father-in-law came to the rescue,” said Mary. “It took some coordination to leave four young kids for a few days, but we all made it happen. My sister picked me up and drove me across the state of Florida to Boca Raton, to Gift of Life’s collection center.”

Gift of Life puts donors up in a beachside resort in the charming walkable town of Delray Beach, and arranges for travel and transportation, and provides a meal stipend. The collection center itself is a cutting-edge facility, with private donation suites designed to be beautiful, relaxing, and provide a great experience to donors—after all, they are volunteering to save a life!

“The team at the collection center made sure I always knew what was happening and why,” said Mary. “They were absolutely wonderful, and the food and beverage situation was on point – Fiji Water all day! After donating, we went to relax at the beach. I brought a great book to read, and there are a lot of good food options near the hotel. Afterward, I also had regular follow-ups to make sure I was okay, and even an update about my recipient, which is just a huge blessing.”

Mary was so happy with her donation experience that she ran a donor recruitment drive at her gym, where a number of members joined the registry.

“I feel honored that I was able to potentially give someone else the gift of life,” she said. “I feel encouraged and inspired to show others that they, too, can join the registry and donate. The donation itself is minuscule compared to the ability of your cells to save a life. Also, it’s fun to donate – a reason to get away from your hectic life, slow down and relax and reflect.”

Mary looks forward to the amazing possibility of meeting her recipient someday and handing over her half-marathon medal.

“I would be honored to meet her,” she said. “You, too, can save a life; the first step is to swab your cheek and get on the registry – it is 100% worth it.”

Mary, her husband Evan and their four children (“the lights of my life!”) are residents of Fort Myers, Fla. She is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University and works as an occupational therapist at an ALS clinic. In her free time, Mary is an avid runner and triathlete. She is currently training to run an ultra-marathon in January 2026, and to date has completed one full ironman triathlon, seven half-ironman triathlons, seven full marathons, and 24 half-marathons.