An MSK project manager shares her experiences as a stem cell donor.
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I registered to be a donor in 2013 while I was in college. And I was extremely surprised when I found out that I was a match. There was no hesitation that I would not want to donate. My parents were definitely more nervous than I was.
Yeah. I didn't know what the procedure involved. So that got to be worrisome.
Hi there. How are you doing? I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Christina was going to be a match and that she was willing to donate stem cells.
My role working at MSK played a huge part in wanting to donate.
Christina used to work in my office, and she helped in many aspects of organizing bone marrow transplantation.
There are so many times where I've met cancer patients, seen them in the hallways, or heard their stories, and that is why this donation meant so much to me.
Bone marrow transplantation is, for many patients with a blood cancer, their only and their last hope to get cured. Christina chose to donate stem cells by allowing us to give her a growth factor, which would mobilize the stem cells-- that means that the stem cells get into her bloodstream-- and then we can literally filter them out.
It's a much more easier process than I ever thought it would be.
I'm very proud of the person she's become.
Yeah.
And our small part in it.
One of my biggest takeaways from this entire process is the need to register. You truly are giving someone a chance at life. If it was your family, wouldn't you want to have that match available for you?