Tackling Leukemia, One Cell at a Time

How an email spurred a Division III football player into action to help save a life

Mitchell Stokey, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a member of the Tartans football team, joined the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) stem cell registry nearly two years ago. At the time, he was told the chances of being a match for someone in need were slim.

“The NMDP registry has millions of potential donors, but the likelihood of an individual donor being contacted as a match is still relatively low,” according to DKMS.org.

Roughly a year and a half after registering, Mitch received an email — he was a match for someone battling leukemia. The news came as a complete surprise.

“Wow, this is happening,” Mitch was shocked. “My initial thought was fear.”

But as he moved forward in the process, his mindset shifted into a powerful sense of purpose.

“This opportunity is a blessing, I could save someone's life,” he said. That initial fear gave way to gratitude and the hope that his donation would make a real difference for the recipient.

“Every three to four minutes, someone in the U.S is diagnosed with a blood cancer” (NMDP.org). For nearly 40 years, The National Marrow Donor Program has connected donors to recipients for life-saving blood stem cell transplants. Joining the registry is simple: order a free swab kit, swab your cheek, send it back, and stay connected.

Mitch was introduced to the NMDP program by his defensive coordinator, Ben Gibboney, who brought the initiative to the football program. Gibboney reached out to players via text and email, inviting them to gather on campus to learn about the registry and the impact they could have.

Each of CMU’s football coaches is involved with a different philanthropic organization. Offensive coordinator Andy Helm, for example, works with Special Olympics Pennsylvania, and many CMU athletes volunteer at the annual Western Spring Sectional held on campus, acting as basketball refs and track officials.

Mitch explained that Gibboney’s leadership played a big role in getting the team involved with NMDP. “It falls on the leaders of the team to ‘push it’ and set an example of how being a part of this cause is a great opportunity,” he said about the motivation. Over time, the message has stuck. “We have almost the entire team or the entire squad sign up, including incoming freshmen or transfers. There’s a consistent flow of young athletes who choose to be a part of something special.”

When asked what his message would be to other athletes about taking the first step to see if they could be a match, his answer was clear: “Do it”. He wants other athletes to recognize the idea that some things are bigger than themselves in life. Understanding the depths of having the chance and the ability to save someone's life is a rare opportunity.

Mitch emphasized the unwavering support provided by the NMDP, which removes nearly every barrier to donation. “There are no excuses,” he confidently stated. “You can’t say ‘I have work’… you can’t use the excuse that ‘I have kids’. They will pay for your daycare. They will pay for your flight and or all the miles you drive to get blood drawn.”

For those outside the donor age range (18-40), Mitch has a different but equally important call to action. “Donate,” he urged. “It’s a nonprofit organization. Give anything you can to help make this possible, so the NMDP can continue to help donors do whatever it takes, and be able to help these recipients."