Lauren was in her early teens when her father donated bone marrow to save a stranger’s life. When he later met his recipient and they learned how much it meant to him that a stranger would help, Lauren decided she would join the registry, too.

“I knew as soon as I turned 18, I wanted to do it,” she said. “Then life got busy and I kind of forgot about it over time.”

In 2023, she spotted Gift of Life’s recruitment table at the student union on the University of Kansas campus and went right over to ask for a swab kit.

Lauren and her father Randy

“Not only had my dad donated, but my older brother is an Eagle Scout, and his project was holding a marrow registration drive, so now it was my turn,”  said Lauren.

The following year Lauren was home on summer break when she got a text message, then an email, and another text message, all from Gift of Life: she was a match for a man in his 70s diagnosed with leukemia.

“At first I thought it was just another spam message,” she said. “Then when the messages kept coming, I realized this was probably real. I was so excited!  

Gift of Life covers travel, hotel, transportation and a meal stipend, making it easy to donate at the organization’s Boca Raton, Fla. headquarters in the Adelson Collection Center.  Donors may bring a companion with them as well, so Lauren invited her mother.

Lauren is majoring in journalism and marketing and enjoys photography.

“My dad was excited and proud for me, but he had to work, and I kind of wanted my mom with me,” said Lauren. “We had a very fun trip to Florida, even though it was windy in December. We walked along the beach anyway, and the hotel and the food were great. It was nice to have some time with my mom, as well.”

She also had plenty of schoolwork to finish as her donation date fell during her final week of classes for the semester.

“Today college is so online oriented that it is easy to finish projects remotely,” said Lauren. “My professors were understanding, and the note Gift of Life gave me to share with them certainly helped.  I was actually thinking of doing one of my finals during the donation process, but when I got there and realized it might be difficult to type, I decided to just watch tv and chat with my mom.”

Donors giving stem cells have their blood drawn from one arm, passed through an apheresis machine to separate out and collect the stem cells, and the remaining blood is returned through the other arm. The entire process takes four to six hours. 

“We watched “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” but left the sound off. I’ve seen it so many times I didn’t need the audio on, so I just used it for pretty visuals,” said Lauren. “I talked to my mom and every 20 minutes or so, someone stopped in to see if we needed any snacks or drinks. The facility is very nice, and it was great that transportation and travel were so well-organized – we didn’t have to worry about anything.”

After years of wanting to join the registry and finally getting her opportunity to help a stranger in need, Lauren feels amazing.

“It’s a really nice experience and very rewarding,” she said. “Being on the registry doesn’t mean you have to do this, but you might get the chance to do it. It’s a cool opportunity if it comes your way, and there’s a family out there who will be really appreciative that you donated.”

Lauren is a singer and guitarist for a blue and jazz band.

Lauren, 20, is a resident of Lenexa, Kan., and is an undergraduate at the University of Kansas, majoring in journalism and marketing. She’s very creative and sings, plays the guitar and is part of a five-piece band that plays blues and jazz music at various venues on the weekend.