Connor, 23, joined the registry while he was a freshman at Union College in September 2022. “They held a drive to swab all the freshman athletes at the same time, and see if any of us were matches,” said Connor. “I’m glad the school recommended we do it.” A little over two years later, Connor got that inspiring call from Gift of Life that he matched a patient, a man in his mid-20s diagnosed with leukemia. “I’m so pleased I get to help my recipient,” he said. “This is why I joined.” For five days, including just before donating, donors receive filgrastim injections to stimulate the production of stem cells. “I did find I was a little achy from the filgrastim, but that didn’t stop me from hitting the beach and the pool,” said Connor. “It’s been a good trip so far, coming to Florida to donate. I think if anyone feels hesitant, please trust me, it’s a great process. There may be some soreness that comes with it, but it’s all worth it in the end to help someone survive cancer.”

Allison, 24, a graduate of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Fla., was excited to return to town to help a stranger fight a diagnosis of blood cancer. “Gift of Life came to my FAU club lacrosse team during practice in 2023, and I swabbed, and I’ve been on the registry since then,” said Allison. “I was contacted this summer about being a patient’s match, and I was super excited to be called. The process does no harm to me, and if I can help someone, I may as well do it. I feel like everything will circle around in the long run: you help others when they need it, and then you get help when it’s your turn.” She matched a woman in her mid-50s who was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a transplant as her best option. Allison brought her mom with her as her companion. “The donation vacation has been beautiful,” said Allison. “We were vacationing in Sarasota the week before, and it’s nice to visit my old stomping grounds here. I got to see some friends from college, and it’s been great. The facility is beautiful, and everyone is super kind and helpful. If you get the chance to do this, just go for it. Helping someone survive cancer is such a great thing you can do, and it’s very simple. The whole process has been easy.”

Eyal, 25, claims he is afraid of needles, but he was thrilled to donate stem cells to a man in his 70s battling leukemia. “I was a supervisor on the Birthright tour in Israel two years ago, and did a swab kit, then forgot about it,” said Eyal. Gift of Life has partnered with Birthright Israel since 2004 to invite young Jewish adults on their visit to Israel to pay it forward by becoming a potential donor. “Two years later, during my work shift, they called me and said, ‘You’re a match for a patient in need, we’d love to get in contact with you,’” said Eyal. “My reaction was ‘WOW, this is amazing!’ Honestly, I had forgotten about it, and here I am donating.” Eyal’s collection turned out to be a great experience for him. “The process sounded scary to me at first because it involved IV lines in both arms, I’m just the biggest crybaby, but this is all about giving people a chance to survive blood cancer,” said Eyal. “Coming here to donate does not cost me a thing, and compared to what my recipient is going through, this is easy,” he said. “If I can do this, anyone can do it. The feeling that you have helped give someone a second chance is really amazing, it’s irreplaceable, and you can’t put a price on it. Just knowing that you are really helping someone out there who absolutely needs you makes this so worth doing.”

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