Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers and disorders, and a blood stem cell transplant is often their only hope for survival. Finding a blood stem cell donor can be challenging. However, one organization, NMDPSM, is a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, matching patients with donors and supporting them throughout the transplant process.
Formerly known as Be The Match®, NMDP has managed the world’s most diverse blood stem cell registry for over 35 years. That registry provides access to more than 41 million donors worldwide willing to donate blood stem cells. Donors never have to pay to donate, and the organization raises funds to eliminate financial barriers for patients receiving transplants.
A young professional named Mitch runs the day-to-day operations of NMDP’s donor engagement team. He and his team ensure that donors have positive experiences while providing the best possible outcomes for patients. The donor engagement team makes the initial call to donors, letting them know that they’re a potential match for a patient in need.
Mitch knows this process well, but his professional passion turned into a personal mission in 2020 when he received the call that he was a match for a patient in Australia. While Mitch was excited to move forward, because of delays and to meet the patient’s needs, the donation was pushed forward to April 2022.
Helping someone in need
In 2018, Mitch joined the NMDP RegistrySM because he thought it would be nice to help someone in need. He registered by swabbing his cheeks and returning the swab kit to NMDP. Fast-forward two years, and on his birthday, he got the call that he was a match for a patient. He was surprised but thrilled.
Mitch, who’s gay, was honored to donate his blood stem cells. The LGBTQIA+ community has been eligible to join the NMDP Registry and donate for nearly a decade. Donors aren’t asked about their sexual orientation because it isn’t a factor in finding the best possible match for a patient. Anyone aged 18 to 40 in good health is encouraged to sign up for the registry.
Having the opportunity to help save a life was emotional for Mitch. “I was able to help someone, and that was just not something our community is used to,” he says. “That was a really cool moment.”
Life-changing
Mitch’s family and friends supported his decision to donate blood stem cells. They even helped him prepare his body to donate. In the days leading up to donation, donors receive injections of filgrastim, a drug that increases the production of blood stem cells. Mitch’s partner, Ruben, a pharmacist, volunteered to administer those at home.
Then, Mitch traveled to an NMDP collection center to donate blood stem cells. He remembers tearing up because he knew what his cells would mean for the patient. “You want the cells to save their lives and let that patient live for many, many years to come,” he said. “But to me, it was more about just giving that patient and his family hope, hope to have a second chance.”
Now, two years later, Mitch hopes to someday meet the person who received his blood stem cells, whom he calls his “blood twin.” Mitch wrote the patient a letter, but they haven’t connected. Even if the two never meet, Mitch is glad he could help someone and encourages others in the LGBTQIA+ community to join the donor registry.
“This is our chance to help someone in need,” he said. “There’s someone who you have a chance of potentially being that one match for, someone to save their life. And it is absolutely remarkable. It’s just as life-changing for me as the donor as I think it has been for the patient.”
