Original published date: 8/29/2024

Brady, a football player at the University of Rhode Island, didn’t anticipate that one cheek swab would change his life and save someone else’s. Though he can’t recall how he first heard about NMDP^SM, he does remember joining the blood stem cell donor registry at a recruitment event on campus.

When Brady stumbled on the drive on campus, he knew joining the NMDP Registry^SM was the right thing to do. What he didn’t know was that an email in March 2022 would alter his life. While he initially believed it was a prank from his buddies, he soon realized it was the real deal—a notification that he was a match for a patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant. “Being picked for anything makes you feel special, but being picked for something like saving a life is a whole other level of special,” he said.

Brady remembers being excited but also nervous. He didn’t exactly read the fine print or understand all the details about blood stem cell donation, and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. However, NMDP staff provided the information he needed about donation so he could make an informed decision. After more testing, he was then told that he was the best match for the patient and would be donating in early 2023.

Brady's family, friends and coaches supported his decision, and NMDP staff helped him navigate the ins and outs of donation, including setting up appointments to get his bloodwork done and answering his lingering questions.

“I don’t want to say they held my hand the whole way, but they really did. NMDP was super helpful,” said Brady. He jokes that his mom wanted to know everything about the process and even spoke to the doctors directly to have a clear understanding of her son’s safety and confirm he wouldn’t miss football.