Giving My First Gift of Life
Image source: Unsplash
by Kolby Quillin
During medical school interviews, many students, including myself, would have liked to answer the question “Why do you want to become a doctor?” with the cliché “I like science and want to help people”. However, as pre-clinical medical students, our job is to learn the science to earn the privilege to help people. Many students find time in their busy schedules to work with the community, helping people just as they had wanted to.
In the scramble of first-year medical students finding their place into organizations, I fell short. At my own fault, I quickly became out of touch with most service opportunities. Seeing all my fellow classmates doing incredible things for the community made me feel like a disappointment to my past self. I came to medical school to help people, but just spent every day flipping through flash cards.
This story really begins my sophomore year of college. During a club meeting, a fellow student came to present on behalf of an organization called “Gift of Life.” They explained that this organization was creating a stem cell donor registry for people suffering from blood diseases. We then had the opportunity to join the registry ourselves. Alongside my friends, I swabbed my cheeks and filled out my contact information. Then, quite frankly, I forgot about it for five years.
After finishing college and completing my first year of medical school, I found myself back in my parents’ house for summer break. At this time, I was relieved to be able to relax but still felt I had missed out on something my M1 year.
One day while driving home, I got a call from a Florida area code. Thinking it was a spam call, I didn’t pick up. Again, they called, and again, I didn’t pick up. The next day, I got the same call, but this time I decided to give the “scammers” a piece of my mind. However, I was met with an actual human on the other side. A lady told me that she was with an organization called Gift of Life, and she was reaching out because my swab sample was a match for a 67-year-old man battling Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. She explained that I may have an opportunity to save this man’s life through a stem cell donation and that I should take some time to talk to my family about the next steps.
My mind immediately began to race. I would be remiss to exclude a serious phobia of mine. Ever since I was a child, I have been terrified of needles. On cue, seconds after most vaccinations, I feel lightheaded and pass out. As someone going into a career surrounded by needles, this may sound comical. But after discovering that I would have to receive over a dozen injections, my brain told me to run. I couldn’t help it, but I wanted nothing to do with it.
For most of the day, I sat with the conclusion that I would not proceed with the donation. I felt I was not the right person for this. I told my family about the situation, and they immediately acknowledged my phobia. However, they encouraged me to reconsider, expressing the significance of the situation. Trusting their judgment, I began to think of my time learning about AML in class. I thought about the symptoms this man was experiencing, and I remembered my whole reason to pursue medicine in the first place: to help others. While I may be afraid of some needle pokes, it didn’t compare to what this person was going through. It became clear that the best thing to do was to proceed with the donation.
I called Gift of Life back, and tests were set up to determine my human leukocyte antigen typing and reveal any pathogens I may be carrying. Soon after, I went to get my blood drawn, and I still felt a bit nervous. Per my usual routine, I told the nurse about my habit of passing out, and she made sure I lay down as we did the draw. In that office were 11 empty vials staring at me, but the idea that this could save a life overtook my thoughts. As the needle went in, I was frightful, but it was over before I knew it. For the first time in ages, I proudly made it out of a blood draw without passing out.
Later that week, I got another call from a Florida area code. This time, I couldn’t wait to answer. Over the phone, I was told that my match was confirmed and that they would like to proceed with the next steps. The reality of the situation kicked in and I was flooded with anticipation for what was to come. We scheduled a physical exam to ensure my body was fit for the procedure and settled on a date for the actual donation. After confirming with UTCOM, who graciously allowed me to take a week for this opportunity, Gift of Life booked a flight and hotel for me and a guest. They cover all costs associated with the procedure, so it is a cost-neutral experience for donors.
I soon found myself on the beaches of Florida with my girlfriend. Everything was coming together, and it was almost time for the donation. Gift of Life set up a home nurse to come to the hotel every day for me to receive Filgrastim injections, which is a G-CSF used to promote stem cells from bone marrow to migrate to the peripheral blood circulation. While I can’t say I looked forward to receiving three injections every day, the nurse was incredibly professional and eased any anxiety I had. Every day of injections conditioned me to not fear them, and they became easier and easier for me.
Between injections, I spent my time watching lectures on the beach, doing some fishing, and got to celebrate my 25th birthday over dinner. Gift of Life ensured my comfort through the whole experience and provided us with all the snacks we could ever want. Other than a slight sternal ache due to my stem cells releasing from the marrow, I had no side effects from the Filgrastim.
Before I knew it, donation day came. A car came to pick up my girlfriend and I from the hotel. The driver was almost as excited as I was. Upon arrival at the donation center, we were met with a smile on everyone’s face. It was clear that every employee there loved being able to assist in these special moments. They made the morning feel like a celebration, as we were all working together to save someone’s life.
I received my final Filgrastim injections, which at that point had become as simple as brushing my teeth, and was hooked up to the apheresis machine. This machine took blood from my left arm, spun out the stem cells, and returned it back into my right arm in a matter of seconds. The nurse was masterful at his job, constantly checking in on me to ensure I never was cold or hungry.
After 4 hours, my time on the machine came to an end. In a bag sitting next to me were my stem cells. That bag was going to be used for something much larger than myself. It represented both a life saved and my conquered fears. We took pictures with the staff and my cells were sent off on a plane to the recipient’s treatment center to be transplanted that day.
As I write this, I am awaiting 6th 6th-month updates on my stem cell recipient. I don’t know the man’s name or where he is from, but it is heartening to know that a little bit of me is somewhere out there, aiding in his recovery. This experience gave me the sense of purpose that I had longed for during that first year of school. As I transition into a career of medicine, I hope to help many more people heal from disease. I will always remember this as the first time I felt I achieved this dream.
If you ever come across a Gift of Life drive, I recommend you consider swabbing. While some patients suffering from blood diseases find donor matches through their family members, 70% must utilize registries like Gift of Life for their potentially lifesaving treatment [1]. Gift of Life is an incredibly professional organization and led me through every step of the process. I truly can’t praise them enough for how they accommodated all my needs. This has been the most fulfilling moment of my life, and I hope that countless others can experience that moment too.
Bibliography
Gift of Life Marrow Registry. 5 Steps to Save a Life. Gift of Life. Accessed February 3rd, 2025. https://www.giftoflife.org/donors/donationprocess1
Kolby Quillin is a third-year medical student at the UTCOMLS
