Patrick, a professional lacrosse player for the San Diego Seals, has donated peripheral blood stem cells to help save a boy's life. He joined the registry in 2018 at the Rochester Institute of Technology, at a drive held by a fellow student, Walker Hare. Walker donated bone marrow to save the life of a woman diagnosed with leukemia, and went on to help his fellow RIT students get that same opportunity. At the drive more than a hundred students joined the registry, including Patrick. 

“I’m friends with Walker,” says Patrick. “We all were excited to join the registry after he had donated. I had another reason I wanted to join, though. When I was a kid, a family friend was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. She received a successful transplant from a firefighter and made a recovery. My sister also had cancer when I was a kid, but she’s okay now, too. It wasn’t blood cancer, and I was too young to truly grasp everything, but I know how difficult a time it was for my family.”

More than five years later, Patrick received a message from a Florida area code out of the blue. It was Gift of Life calling.

“I was at work when I got the message saying I was a match with a boy in his teens diagnosed with leukemia and to respond with ‘Y’ if I wanted to schedule a follow-up call,” said Patrick. “I knew I had a responsibility to return the call and at least see where it would go.”

After bloodwork confirmed that he was the best match for his recipient, Patrick began telling his family and friends about the opportunity.

“They were very happy and moved when I told them the news,” said Patrick. “There were no concerns or questions from them. They knew I had an obligation to do it and they couldn’t have been happier.”

Patrick was asked to donate bone marrow due to the recipient’s age. Marrow donation makes up less than 10% of Gift of Life collections but is often preferred for pediatric patients. This one- to two-hour outpatient procedure is conducted in a hospital and is completed while the donor is under anesthesia. Marrow is collected from the iliac crest, the large bone in the back of the pelvis.

"The donation process was simple really,” said Patrick. “My girlfriend and I showed up to the hospital in the morning, and in probably an hour I was being wheeled into the operating room. I was not awake for the procedure. Once I woke up, I spent about four hours in the hospital until I was discharged. I was tired afterward, but my energy levels went back to normal in about a week. Soreness in the lower back was minimal.”

Patrick recognizes how important being on the registry is for those in need.

“Donating taught me that sometimes you don’t have to do that much to really help someone out,” said Patrick. “I was instructed and guided throughout the entire process by members Gift of Life’s staff. The only thing I did myself was join the registry, and even that was because of a teammate of mine. It wasn’t hard, it wasn’t painful. It was a privilege to have a big impact on someone’s life.” 

Patrick, 25, graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2021. Originally from British Columbia, Patrick now lives in San Diego, Calif. where he plays defense for the San Diego Seals, a team in the National Lacrosse League. He also enjoys playing golf and lifting weights in his free time.