{"id":176680,"date":"2026-03-03T19:19:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/176680\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T19:19:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:19:16","slug":"usf-students-push-to-find-matches-for-patients-with-blood-related-disorders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/176680\/","title":{"rendered":"USF students push to find matches for patients with blood-related disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>USF\u2019s Gift of Life Marrow Registry collects cheek swabs for DNA samples to match potential donors to patients in need. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE\/HALEIGH GILDIN<\/p>\n

USF students are working to give blood cancer patients a second chance at life, one cheek swab<\/a> at a time.<\/p>\n

The Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a national nonprofit organization that facilitates stem cell and bone marrow transplants for patients battling blood-related disorders, such as leukemia and lymphoma, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Haleigh Gildin is a senior global business major and the president of USF\u2019s chapter of the Gift of Life Marrow Registry<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gildin said the organization helps register as many potential donors as possible to raise the chances of patients finding life-saving matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur overall goal is to eliminate blood cancer,\u201d Gildin said. \u201cAnd we do that by adding everyone to the registry so patients can find matches more quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The USF chapter has collected 4,789 cheek swabs and found 172 matches with them, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s literally just a cheek swab,\u201d Gildin said. \u201cYou fill out a short form<\/a>, swab your cheek, and you\u2019re added to the registry. It only takes a few minutes, but it could mean everything to someone waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

USF students who work for the university\u2019s chapter of the Gift of Life Marrow Registry said registering a cheek swab with the organization could be life-changing for another person.<\/p>\n

Related: USF\u2019s Student Health and Wellness Center sees more visits this flu season<\/a><\/p>\n

USF\u2019s chapter of the Gift of Life Marrow Registry will host Annie\u2019s Army<\/a>, a once-a-semester awareness event focused on expanding the registry and supporting patients, on Wednesday near Cooper Hall.<\/p>\n

The chapter is also hosting a Mega Drive<\/a> swabbing event, which started on Saturday and will end Thursday, that will collect cheek swabs from as many students as possible across the Tampa campus.<\/p>\n

Gildin said that because matching is genetically specific, it is essential to expand the registry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more people we have, the better the chances are that someone will find their match,\u201d Gildin said. \u201cThat\u2019s why recruitment is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Drames, a senior health sciences major and USF\u2019s chapter secretary, said cheek swabs are used to identify genetic markers in a person\u2019s DNA and match donors to patients through a database.<\/p>\n

Drames said joining the registry with a cheek swab does not automatically mean someone will donate their stem cells or bone marrow \u2014 as the process is voluntary and matches are rare.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not signing a contract,\u201d Drames said. \u201cIf you match with someone, you still have the choice to move forward. But for a lot of patients, that match is their last hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said one of the biggest challenges for recruitment are misconceptions about the donation process, including what donation is and how DNA is used.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a huge misconception about what donation looks like,\u201d Drames said. \u201cPeople assume it\u2019s this invasive surgery, and that\u2019s usually not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traditional bone marrow donation involves extracting marrow from the hip bone under general anesthesia, while stem cell donation is non-surgical and draws from the bloodstream, according to Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Dramer said participant information is added to the database with ID numbers rather than names, which helps keep data and information private.<\/p>\n

Related: USF org supports kids whose parents have cancer: \u2018A unique community\u2019<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gianna Maikowski, a senior health sciences major and the chapter\u2019s membership chair, joined the organization in her freshman year.<\/p>\n

Maikowski said learning about the science behind matching made her realize how difficult it is to find specific genetic matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can\u2019t necessarily donate from relatives or get donations from relatives,\u201d Maikowski said. \u201cSo they rely mainly on random people.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said this realization reinforced how powerful small actions can be for other people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes five minutes to fill out the form and swab,\u201d Maikowski said. \u201cAnd then someone ends up saving another person\u2019s life. Something so small could make such a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that matches who choose to donate often only have to donate stem cells versus bone marrow.<\/p>\n

Maikowski said most donations \u2014 which the organization pays for \u2014 are done through peripheral blood stem cell collection, which draws from the bloodstream rather than bone marrow collection surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very similar to donating blood plasma,\u201d Maikowski said. \u201cYour stem cells get separated, and then your blood actually goes back into you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: USF\u2019s new president could earn nearly $2 million in first year<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maikowski said hearing about someone she helped swab becoming a match is always meaningful to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we get emails that someone matched, I literally want to cry every time,\u201d Maikowski said. \u201cIt makes me so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said education is the biggest factor in getting students to donate because it raises awareness for the program and cancer prevention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone hears a story, or they can relate to it personally, or they just learn more about it and educate themselves, they\u2019re way more interested in swabbing and making a difference,\u201d Maikowski said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gildin said she hopes the Gift of Life Marrow Registry reminds students that behind every statistic is a real person waiting for a match.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are real patients waiting on real matches,\u201d Gildin said. \u201cIf you have a few minutes, you could be someone\u2019s miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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