Three Birthdays, One Life-Saving Gift: My Stem Cell Donation Story
How joining a donor registry to help someone I love led to an incredible opportunity to give a complete stranger a second chance at life.
Sometimes life has a funny way of bringing things full circle. And sometimes, apparently, it likes to coordinate everything around birthdays!
In 2021, my husband and I, along with several other family members, joined the stem cell donor registry because my brother-in-law, Tim, desperately needed a life-saving stem cell transplant.
When someone you love is facing something like that, you quickly realize just how important finding a matching donor can be. You also realize how incredibly helpless it feels to want to do something—anything—to help.
Thankfully, Tim found his match. His donor was in Turkey, and today, he is doing well and living his life in England.
We also have another family member, Patrick, who battled acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood and bone marrow cancer. Patrick received his life-saving stem cell transplant from a donor in Poland. Even more amazing, he eventually got to meet his donor in person!
So our family already knew firsthand just how extraordinary the gift of stem cell donation could be.
What I didn't know was that five years after joining the registry, I would get the opportunity to be that person for someone else.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything
Fast-forward to 2026.
On my brother-in-law's 50th birthday, I received a phone call telling me I was a potential stem cell match for someone in need. I also had an email, but I was driving, so when I didn't instantly reply to the email, they called me to ask if I would be willing to donate.
Without hesitation, I said yes!
I was incredibly excited, but I was also nervous. I had absolutely no idea what the donation process would entail. Would it hurt? What would I have to do? How much time would it take?
But none of those questions changed my answer.
After all, I had joined the registry five years earlier for exactly this reason.
I went through the initial bloodwork and testing, and then, on my birthday, I received another call.
I was officially a match!
The patient had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and they wanted to know if I was still willing to donate.
Of course I was!
I felt such an overwhelming sense of honor and excitement. I knew that being on the registry didn't mean I would ever actually get the chance to donate. Some people remain registered for decades without receiving that call.
And here I was, just five years after joining, being given this incredible opportunity.
To think that somewhere in the world, a complete stranger needed something that my body could provide was almost impossible to wrap my head around.
I was nervous about the unknown, but mostly, I just felt incredibly lucky.
And Then Came Birthday Number Three!
After additional blood draws, medical testing, and pregnancy tests, we finally had a donation date.
And wouldn't you know it?
My donation was scheduled for my sister's birthday!
Seriously, what are the odds?
The first call came on my brother-in-law's 50th birthday. I learned I was a confirmed match on my birthday. And the actual donation would happen on my sister's birthday.
Three birthdays, all connected to one potentially life-saving gift.
My donation was scheduled to take place in Zion, Illinois, which meant my husband and I would be traveling to the Chicago area for the procedure.
Now it was time to get ready!
Preparing to Make Some Stem Cell Babies!
In the days leading up to my donation, I was instructed to increase my intake of leafy green vegetables and prepare for a series of injections.
Five days before my donation, I began receiving injections of a medication similar to filgrastim.
The purpose of these shots was to stimulate my body to produce and release additional blood-forming stem cells into my bloodstream, making them easier to collect.
Basically, my body was being asked to kick its stem cell production into high gear!
The first shot had to be administered in a clinic so they could monitor me for any potential allergic reaction.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly.
For the next three injections, a home health nurse came to our house to administer them.
As for side effects, I experienced two main things.
First, I was ACHY.
Not sick-achy, but more like I had gone to the gym, worked out every muscle in my body, and completely overdone it.
Second, I was exhausted.
And I mean really tired.
But honestly, other than those two things, I didn't experience much discomfort.
I kept reminding myself that whatever temporary aches and fatigue I was feeling were pretty insignificant compared to what the person receiving my stem cells was going through.
At 47 years old, I was also considered an older stem cell donor. Transplant teams generally prefer younger donors, although people already on the NMDP registry can remain eligible to donate until age 61.
During the process, I was given the opportunity to participate in a clinical study related to stem cell donation and donor age.
I happily opted in.
If participating in a study could help researchers learn more and potentially expand opportunities for future donors, I wanted to be part of that, too!
Off to Chicago We Go!
After my fourth injection, my husband and I packed our bags, headed to the airport, and flew to Chicago.
We spent the night at a hotel near the hospital, and early the following morning, we walked over for the big day.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the absolute nicest team of nurses and support staff.
Everyone was so welcoming, kind, and encouraging. They explained everything, answered our questions, and made sure we were comfortable.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about the people who took care of us.
They administered my fifth and final injection, drew some blood, and started getting my IVs ready.
The bloodwork was especially important because they needed to determine how many stem cells were circulating in my bloodstream. That information would help them calculate how long I needed to be connected to the collection machine.
While we waited for the results, they told us to head downstairs and get some breakfast.
And this is where I need to pause the life-saving medical story to tell you something very important.
I had the BEST avocado toast of my entire life!
I'm not kidding.
I don't know if it was the excitement of the day, the hospital cafeteria working some kind of magic, or the fact that I was about to spend several hours hooked up to a machine, but that avocado toast was AMAZING.
Seriously. So good.
Anyway, back to the stem cells!
Six Hours, Three Minutes, and a Throne of Pillows
After breakfast, we headed back upstairs to begin the actual collection.
The procedure I underwent is called peripheral blood stem cell donation, or PBSC donation. The collection process itself is known as apheresis.
One of the things I really want people to understand is that most stem cell donations do not involve surgery or having bone marrow removed.
In my case, blood would be drawn from my left arm and passed through a special machine that separated out the stem cells. The rest of my blood would travel through a blood warmer before being returned to my body through my right arm.
Now, the needles were definitely not tiny.
In fact, they used an ultrasound machine to help locate the right vein and make sure everything was positioned properly.
Once I was all hooked up, the nurses arranged a mountain of pillows around me until I was settled into what I lovingly referred to as my throne of pillows.
And there I sat.
Both arms hooked up, blood flowing through the machine, stem cells being collected, and a whole lot of time to relax.
I had brought something to read, so I started reading for a little while.
Then I got sleepy.
So naturally, I took a nap.
About an hour into the procedure, the team ran a small test to see how efficiently my stem cells were being collected.
Based on those results, they determined that I would need to be connected to the machine for exactly six hours and three minutes.
My Stem Cell Babies Were Almost Ready!
As we got closer to the end of the collection, things started getting exciting.
With approximately one hour remaining, the team contacted the transplant courier to come to the hospital.
My stem cells needed to be carefully transported to the patient, wherever they were receiving treatment. The collection, testing, packaging, transportation, and delivery all had to be coordinated within a very tight window.
The team explained that they had less than 48 hours to get the cells to the patient.
Somewhere, someone was waiting for these cells.
Someone I had never met.
Someone whose family was probably feeling the same mixture of fear, hope, and anticipation that ours had experienced when my brother-in-law Tim and Patrick needed their transplants.
Well, That Wasn't Supposed to Happen!
With just about three minutes left in my scheduled collection, the machine suddenly started beeping.
That's when the nurses discovered that the vein in my arm had blown.
Of course it did.
THREE MINUTES BEFORE THE END!
Thankfully, the team had built some extra collection capacity into their calculations, and they were confident they had collected enough stem cells.
So I didn't have to get hooked back up!
And just like that, my donation was complete.
Meeting My Stem Cell Babies
Of course, we had to take a picture together.
I was looking at something that had come from my own body, knowing that it had the potential to help give another person a second chance at life.
After our little photo session, my stem cell babies were whisked away to the lab for testing before being placed into a specially prepared transplant cooler.
Then the courier was off to the airport.
And just like that, a little part of me was heading out into the world on a very important mission.
Ice Cream, Supplements, and One Final Pin
Once the transplant courier had left, the medical team took another blood sample to make sure I was doing well after the collection.
While we waited for the results, my husband and I went back to the cafeteria.
This time, we celebrated with ice cream sundaes and snacks!
Because after spending six hours and three minutes connected to a machine, I think an ice cream sundae is a perfectly reasonable reward.
When we returned to the room, the team reviewed my bloodwork and let me know that my iron and magnesium levels were low.
They gave me a couple of supplements, and then I got to do something else really special.
I placed a pin on the hospital's donor map.
The map showed where all the people who had donated stem cells at that hospital had come from.
Now I was one of them.
There was something so meaningful about adding my little pin to that map, knowing that every other pin represented another person who had stepped forward to help a stranger.
Different people. Different hometowns. Different stories.
All connected by one simple decision to help someone else.
Once everything was complete, we were released and headed back to our hotel.
We flew home the following day.
And you know what?
By the time I got home, I was feeling pretty much back to normal!
The achiness from the injections had disappeared, my energy was returning, and other than having a pretty incredible story to tell, I felt like myself again.
The News I Had Been Waiting For
A few days later, I received the news I had been hoping for.
My stem cell babies had made it safely to their destination and had been successfully administered to the patient!
What an incredible feeling!
After all the testing, injections, travel, and six hours and three minutes hooked up to a machine, knowing that those precious cells had reached the person who needed them was such a relief.
Of course, I know this is only the beginning of the patient's journey. The transplanted stem cells still need to settle into their new home, begin producing healthy blood cells, and help rebuild the patient's immune system.
There is still a long road ahead, and I may never know how their story unfolds.
But knowing that I had been able to give them this opportunity meant everything to me.
I had done everything I could do.
Now all I could do was hope.
And I am still hoping. ❤️
Will I Ever Meet My Recipient?
This is probably one of the questions people ask me most often.
"Will you ever get to meet the person who received your stem cells?"
And in my case, the answer is no.
The rules surrounding donor-recipient communication vary depending on the country where the patient receives treatment.
For my particular recipient, I was told that I am allowed to send one anonymous letter, one time.
That's it.
I was advised to wait until at least 100 days after the transplant before sending it.
So I have some time to think about what I want to say.
How do you write a letter to someone you have never met but with whom you now share such an extraordinary connection?
What do you say to someone when you've given them something that could potentially save their life?
I haven't figured that out yet.
But I know one thing.
I want them to know how honored I was to be their donor.
I want them to know that I think about them and hope they are doing well.
And I want them to know that somewhere in the United States, there is a complete stranger cheering them on and hoping they have many, many more birthdays to celebrate.
I may never know their name.
I may never see their face.
But that doesn't make the connection any less meaningful.
Some Fascinating Things I Learned Along the Way
Throughout this whole experience, I learned so much about stem cell donation and transplantation.
And some of it absolutely blew my mind!
1. My recipient may eventually have my blood type!
I'm AB negative, which is a relatively uncommon blood type.
After a successful stem cell transplant, as the donor's cells establish themselves and begin producing new blood cells, the recipient's blood type can change to match the donor's.
How wild is that?
2. My donated cells can help build a new blood and immune system.
Stem cells are pretty incredible little things.
They can develop into the different types of blood cells our bodies need, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
So this wasn't just about giving someone a bag of cells.
It was about giving their body the potential to create a new, healthy blood-forming system.
3. Certain allergies can sometimes transfer from donor to recipient.
This one really surprised me!
Some allergies and immune responses can transfer through a stem cell transplant, although it isn't guaranteed and appears to be relatively uncommon.
Fortunately, I don't have any known nut, bee, or seasonal allergies.
So at least my recipient doesn't have to worry about inheriting those from me!
4. You don't have to share a blood type to be a stem cell match.
Matching is based primarily on something called human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers, which are inherited genetic markers involved in how the immune system recognizes cells.
That's why someone in Michigan can potentially be the right match for a patient on the other side of the world.
It's also why having a large and diverse donor registry is so incredibly important.
5. Most stem cell donations don't require surgery.
Approximately 90% of NMDP blood stem cell donations are collected from circulating blood, through a procedure like mine.
The other donations involve collecting bone marrow from the hip bone while the donor is under anesthesia.
The patient's transplant doctor determines which method is most appropriate.
6. Your body replaces the stem cells you donate.
Another amazing thing about our bodies!
The stem cells collected during donation are naturally replenished. You aren't permanently giving away your ability to produce them.
7. You don't have to pay to donate.
This is such an important point.
My donation-related medical care, travel, hotel, and meals were covered, including expenses for my husband as my companion.
The donor organization coordinates the process and helps support donors throughout it.
Your time is the commitment, but you aren't expected to pay the costs of giving someone this potentially life-saving gift.
Five Years on the Registry. One Incredible Opportunity.
I keep coming back to how all of this started.
In 2021, I joined the stem cell registry because someone I loved needed help.
I wanted to be a match for my brother-in-law.
Ultimately, his match came from Turkey.
Patrick's match came from Poland. And just celebrated 8 years post-transplant!
And five years after registering, I got a call telling me that I could potentially help save a complete stranger.
I have friends and family members who have been on the registry for 20 years and have never received that call.
Some registered donors will never be asked to donate.
And that's okay.
Because the more people who join, the greater the chance that someone waiting for a transplant might find the match they desperately need.
I still can't quite believe that I was given this opportunity.
And I feel so incredibly honored that I was.
People keep telling me how amazing it was that I donated.
But honestly?
I don't think of myself as doing anything extraordinary.
I was given a chance to help someone, and I said yes.
The incredible part is that something my body naturally produces could potentially make such a huge difference in another person's life.
What If You're Someone's Match?
If you've ever thought about joining the stem cell donor registry, I really hope my story encourages you to take that step.
It is so much easier than you might think.
You can visit NMDP, formerly Be The Match to learn more and sign up.
If you're between 18 and 35 and meet the eligibility requirements, you can join the registry by completing a health questionnaire and providing a simple cheek swab.
They mail you the kit.
You swab your cheek.
You mail it back.
That's it!
If you're already registered, keep your contact information updated so they can find you if you're ever a potential match.
And if you do get that call, I hope you'll seriously consider saying yes.
I won't pretend the process is completely effortless. There are appointments, blood draws, injections, travel, and a real commitment of your time.
But I can honestly say that the aches, the exhaustion, the big needles, and even the blown vein were worth it to me.
I got to spend a day surrounded by incredible medical professionals, eat the world's best avocado toast, take several naps in my throne of pillows, enjoy a celebratory ice cream sundae, and send my little stem cell babies off into the world with the hope that they could help save someone's life.
Not a bad day, if you ask me!
A Gift That Comes Full Circle
When I think about my brother-in-law Tim receiving his match from Turkey, Patrick receiving his from Poland, and now my own stem cells traveling to someone I may never meet, I am overwhelmed by how connected we all are.
Somewhere in the world, strangers were a match for my family members.
And now, I have had the extraordinary privilege of being that stranger for somebody else.
That is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I may never get to meet my recipient.
I may never know the full story of what happens next.
But I hope that somewhere in the world, my stem cell babies are settling into their new home and doing exactly what they were sent there to do.
And more than anything, I hope my recipient gets to celebrate many more birthdays.
Because if this entire experience has taught me anything, it's that birthdays are pretty special.
And everyone deserves the chance to celebrate another one.
You never know whose match you might be.
You never know whose life you could help save.
And sometimes, all it takes is one little cheek swab and the willingness to say yes. ❤️
To learn more about becoming a stem cell donor or joining the registry, visit
NMDP.org.
