Senior Traci Schreibman found out she is a perfect bone marrow match for a 9-year-old girl with leukemia, and she’s going through with the donation.
Traci Schreibman might be the saving grace for a 9-year-old girl with leukemia, a girl she’s never met.
Schreibman, a senior at Ohio University, will soon donate bone marrow to the girl as a “perfect match,” which means her human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue types match the girl’s exactly for a donation.
“I’m hoping she’s a fighter,” Schreibman said. “I’m doing my part so hopefully she’s got it in her.”
Schreibman is involved with Hillel on campus and wanted to help with its “Got Swabbed?” outreach efforts, during which students can sign up to be in the Gift of Life registry with a cheek swab.
She swabbed herself during training so she could learn how to perform the swab on others. In October 2013, she was officially entered into the registry.
Her mother, Lynda, has been in the registry for about 40 years. Her brother, Jeffrey, has for eight years, after the OU alumnus was swabbed at a Hillel drive.
It took about a year for Schreibman to get called — a relatively uncommon occurrence.
“I was really shocked (when I got the call) because everyone discusses how rare it is,” Schreibman said.
For the Gift of Life registry, there’s a 1 in 1,000 chance of finding the perfect match through swabbing drives said Gregg Francis, chief operating and financial officer for Gift of Life registry.
Schreibman is a frequent blood donor for the American Red Cross and said she is constantly trying to do her part to help others, especially because she’s studying social work.
After her aunt, Sharyn Pierce, died of ovarian cancer a year ago, Schreibman said she saw this as a destined opportunity. Her aunt loved children, she added.
“My aunt is like an angel,” Schreibman said. “She sent me this little girl to save her life. I’m really glad I got the call and not someone else that is not as serious about doing this.”
Lynda said she is proud of her daughter for going through with the donation process. Schreibman said she does, however, have a few anxieties about the procedure.
Schreibman will go under general anesthesia and have bone marrow extracted from the back of her pelvic bone. It will take her about two to three weeks to recover.
“They said basically what it feels like is a sports injury, if you were to fall on your backside,” Schreibman said.
Since receiving the call in December, Schreibman has had a physical and extensive blood work to prepare for the donation.
The Gift of Life organization will cover travel for Schreibman and her mother, lodging, food and medical expenses that aren’t covered by insurance.
“It’s extremely hard to find a match, especially within ethnic groups that are not as common or popular, so that’s why it’s important for all types of groups of people … to be within this registry,” she said.
Francis said OU has been a great partner to the process of registering students.
Lauren Goldberg, assistant director of Hillel, said OU’s “Got Swabbed?” campaign is the most successful college program of its kind in the country.
In March, Hillel will participate in “Match Madness” to swab as many individuals as it can through partnerships with campus organizations.
“We are so happy that (Schreibman) was chosen, and I think there are a lot of students on this campus with their fingers crossed hoping to get chosen,” Goldberg said.
Francis said about 80 percent of the donations that are drawn for blood cancers are done through blood from the arm, and 20 percent are bone marrow donations like Schreibman’s.
But, before signing up to be put in the registry, Schreibman said people should think about whether they’re fully committed to the process. She said the amount of needles involved are more than enough to make many potential applicants a bit queasy.
“If they do get called and they start going through the process and all of a sudden they are like, ‘Wow this isn’t for me,’ you kind of put that hope into (the person receiving the donation),” Schreibman said.
A year after the donation, if the recipient’s parents allow, Schreibman will be able to meet the girl who received her bone marrow.
“She’s pretty much going to be a family member after this,” Schreibman said. “She’s going to have all my bone marrow, so she’s definitely going to be an important person in my life.”
@reb_barnes
rb605712@ohio.edu
