In 2022, Gabe was in Jerusalem on a Birthright Israel tour, a 10-day trip for young Jewish adults aged 18-26, when he heard a presentation about Gift of Life Marrow Registry and its lifesaving mission. The organization’s goal is to provide peripheral blood stem cell and marrow transplants to everyone who needs them, and the young people on tour were offered swab kits and invited to pay it forward by joining as volunteer donors.

“It was a no brainer thing to do,” said Gabe. “My uncle is a cancer survivor twice over, and the most recent bout was less than a year before I had joined the registry. He matched with someone and received a marrow transplant that saved his life. He was definitely on my mind when I joined, but I would have done it either way. I wanted to be the same kind of donor that my uncle was looking for, to be there for someone.”

Gabe was quickly identified as a potential match for a man in his 60s diagnosed with myelodysplastic disorder, a form of cancer that produces defective blood cells. 

“When I learned that I was a match I remember being surprised because it was only four months that I’d been on the registry,” said Gabe. “Many people go their entire lives being on the registry and never match. So, it was very surprising to hear from someone so soon. I was excited about the opportunity to contribute to potentially saving someone’s life.”

Naturally, the first person Gabe called was his mother.

“She was so excited for me and emotional, considering her brother had needed a donor not long beforehand,” he said.

After a blood draw confirmed he was the best possible match for his recipient, Gabe donated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC).

“Gift of Life was super helpful in coordinating the collection, which was at a clinic in Cincinnati, where I live,” said Gabe. “They sent me a bunch of swag and supplies and got me in contact with a local nurse to administer the filgrastim injections. The day of the donation, Gift of Life sent an Uber to bring me to the collection center, which I appreciated. I was familiar with the location since I’d donated blood there before. The staff hooked me up to the apheresis machine early in the morning, and the donation specialist was very nice and helpful.”

The donation process typically takes between four and six hours, and often donors bring someone to accompany them during the collection.

“At the time, I was in rehearsals for a musical production of Clue,” said Gabe. “I spent most of the time flipping through the music book. About halfway through, my mom came by to keep me company. The whole collection took about four hours, give or take. Just after noon, they dismissed me, and I went home and took the rest of the day off. My recovery was pretty quick; I was just a bit fatigued for a couple of days following the donation.”

For most donors, a single cell collection is all that is required to save a life. However, almost a year later, Gabe was asked to donate again. While not common, a second donation of mononuclear cells is sometimes necessary for the patient’s speedy recovery. These cells – including lymphocytes and monocytes, commonly known as white blood cells – help boost the recipient's immune system as they recover from cancer.

“Getting called again was definitely surprising,” said Gabe. “This time, I flew to South Florida to donate, and it was nice to get some time away from the cold weather. By the time of the donation, in November, I was very happy warm up! I brought my sister with me so we could visit our grandpa who lives in the Boca Raton area, and the hotel Gift of Life put us up in was very nice. Because the second donation was just white blood cells, I didn’t need filgrastim, and I felt fine immediately after the donation. The experience in Florida was lovely, and it was cool to actually see Gift of Life’s facility.”

Gabe’s recovery was very quick, and he returned to Cincinnati shortly after his collection.

“I feel good about having gone through with it,” said Gabe. “Donating seemed like a no-brainer, something any decent person would do.”

Gabe feels that everyone able should join the registry and donate if given the opportunity.

“The people involved in running the registry at Gift of Life are great and make the process as easy as possible. If you’re healthy and aren’t afraid of needles, there’s no reason not to be on the registry. Any one of us could find ourselves in need of a stem cell transplant, so it’s important that we have as many people on the registry as possible.”

Gabe, 29, is currently an MBA student at the University of Cincinnati, having previously received his bachelor’s degree in economics and theatre from Denison College. He continues to live in Cincinnati. In his free time, Gabe is involved in the performing arts and local theatre productions. He’s also a fan of soccer and plays in his local adult league.