A simple cheek swab can change a life — just ask Lauren Buckmeier.
About a year ago, the graduate student in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders signed up to be on a blood stem cell donor registry after being inspired by someone else at UMD. She swabbed her cheek for DNA and sent it in.
Recently, Buckmeier was notified that she matched with a patient. She traveled to the City of Hope Center in Chicago this past week to donate life-saving blood stem cells to an adult battling a blood disease. Her cells will help the recipient build a new, healthy immune system.
The process was intense. It involved two weeks of preparation, appointments, injections, and meetings, followed by a full day of donation. But for Buckmeier, it was a small price to pay when compared to the impact.
“It’s hard to put into words how meaningful this experience has been. I’m just grateful to have been a small part of someone else’s story,” she says. “If you’re a healthy college student, I definitely encourage you to consider joining the registry; it’s a simple step that could one day make a life-changing difference.”