At the chapter meeting for the engineering fraternity, Theta Tau, a Project Life Movement campus ambassador presented our lifesaving mission and offered the opportunity for any students to sign up. Jade Bowers decided that she wanted to join the registry, as she frequently donates her blood and plasma, and knew the process of donating her stem cells would be similar. A few months later, Jade got the call that she was a match for a patient and decided she wanted to donate.
After getting the initial call, Jade had to wait for several months before the actual donation, as her patient was still too sick to receive a transplant. During this waiting, Jade’s transplant coordinator continued to educate on the transplant process. She said by the time of her donation, she felt more comfortable with donating her stem cells than she typically does donating plasma.
When her patient was finally healthy enough, Jade flew from Virginia to Gift of Life’s headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida for the donation. Immediately after the donation, she felt some fatigue and had a headache, but went away by the next morning.
Jade said that she is grateful for the opportunity to donate, especially because she knows that is not something everyone has the chance to do. Jade has not only donated to save her patient’s life, but she now helps to find other patients’ miracle matches. Donating inspired Jade to join our Campus Ambassador Program, where she now hosts events to add other students at Clemson University to the registry. She is continuing to make a huge difference for blood cancer patients and their families by sharing her experience with other potential donors and encouraging them to sign up for the opportunity to do the same.