Saving a life can be as easy as cataloging your name and DNA in the national bone marrow register.
Since the first “Got Swabbed?” drive at Ohio University five years ago, there have been more than 105 drives, 4,400 recruited members, 42 potential donors and six life-saving transplants so far, said Shayne Pilpel, recruitment coordinator for Gift of Life.
Hillel at OU, in coordination with Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, a national bone marrow registry where potential donors can be matched with patients, has conducted more drives on campus than any other university in Gift of Life’s network.
Hillel is consistently working to get potential donors into the Gift of Life registry by holding smaller drives throughout the year.
Two drives, one on Thursday and one on Saturday, are leading up to the first large drive Oct. 15, said Lauren Goldberg, engagement professional at Hillel.
“We’ve collected about 100 swabs this year so far with little drives all over campus,” Goldberg said. “I’m hoping we can get 2,000 new people into the registry this year, with 1,000 of those on the 15th.”
Elisa Kreiman, a junior studying middle childhood education, said she started volunteering at the “Got Swabbed?” drives because she wanted to make a difference and get involved with Hillel.
“I wanted to do more with Hillel, so when Lauren asked if I wanted to help I said sure,” Kreiman said. “(The drive) sheds light on a cause that not many know about, and the fact that you can save a life is amazing.”
Every time Hillel is notified that one of its drives found a potential donor, the feeling is overwhelming, Goldberg said.
“You feel powerful for having participated in getting someone into the registry,” she said. “It’s incredible knowing that a life will be saved and a family’s life changed forever because a loved one gets a second chance at life.”
Pilpel said OU’s program has set the bar for campus drives.
“This particular relationship has not only made an unbelievable impact in lives already, but as we continue to work together, the impact on patients and their families is going to be astronomical,” Pilpel said. “Their commitment is second to none.”
Getting donors into the registry is the best way to make a difference, he said.
“It’s important because you never know if or when someone you know is going to need a bone marrow transplant,” he said. “You can get on the registry and be that potential life-saving needle in the haystack for somebody.”
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