I saved a stranger's life

It all started many years ago when I saw an email going around in my university email's feed.

There was a person at my university , in my own department (although I never interacted with her) who needed either a stem cell transplant or a platelet transplant due to her blood cancer.

It said that due to her mixed heritage there weren't many donors that could be a match for her. I had a feeling I would never be a match for her, but I was determined to join the register of the charity advertised and become a match for someone else.

So, I did. I wasn't a match immediately after joining for this student. But I was a little disappointed that I wasn't a match for anyone else on the register either.

So, I waited. Seven years in fact. Every couple of years I would email them asking for a match or any updates, but nothing came.

The suddenly towards the start of the calendar year my sister who is also on the register got a call. She had been a match. I was ecstatic for her but also jealous. She started her process. I called up the charity to see if there was a genetic link between our family and the match. They said that they weren’t sure. I was still disappointed but also happy for my sister.

A few days later I too got a call. They said that I had been a match. My prediction about the genetic link turned out to be true!

To me this was like winning the lottery. In fact, given that.

1. This is rarer than winning the lottery.

And

2. You are giving someone else a second chance at life,

No lottery win could ever compare.

Me and my sister both started the long process of filling forms about our medical history. Everything from where we traveled recently to any allergies and including any surgeries were included.

After some time, we were told that only one of us can be most likely chosen by the recipient . We were both happy for each other. When it was revealed that it was me, my sister was very accepting.

I carried on filling long forms and then in May I had a series of doctor’s appointments. I had a lot of tests. Some of these were blood tests which involved taking out large portions of my blood and checking if it was safe. I was also briefed about the donation day and told that I would have to have the platelets removed from my thighs as I had bad veins in my arms.

A few weeks later I had an echo done on my heart and further blood tests.

Then 4 days before the donation, I had nurses come and inject me to stimulate my bone marrow. It felt as if my bones were elongating on day one and on day two it hurt a lot. By day three however I didn’t feel a thing.

When it came to the donation day, I arrived at the hospital early and checked into my ward. It was a cancer ward and was not how I imagined it. I was put into one room and had more tests. Finally, I had my thigh shaved and I was given local anesthetic.

Then the main course took place. I saw as my blood started leaving through the thigh and was filtered in a bag. This was where the platelets were being harvested that this person would need to save their own blood cells after their operation to remove their cancer.

It was quite weird being only in one place for 5 hours. I saw some Netflix and made an update. However, many people thought that I was dying in a cancer ward myself when they first saw the photo on social media. I rectified this and people said they were proud of what I was doing and were relieved.

There were only two bad parts to the day. One I had to pee in a cup like thing and two the food was horrible.

I got a call during the day from someone who had a husband who had been saved due to the actions of a stranger like me and said that what I was doing was saving someone else’s life.

Towards the end of the day, I was told that I didn’t need to stay overnight to harvest more platelets (this is sometimes needed) as my body had created 2.5 times the amount needed! I was so proud of my body!

The nurses came and patched me up and then I went and ate a more proper meal.

I was then driven home in a taxi provided by the charity. I went home and slept like a baby.

The next day I did some administrative things regarding my donation and was told something about my recipient – it was a terminally ill child and outside the UK. That was all that could be told to me legally.

When I look back on this achievement , it was the highlight of my year.

I have saved a stranger life without having superpowers or SAS training. It is something that will stay with me forever.

I was told three months later that the child is now on the road to recovery.