Gift of Life

That’s what athletic trainers do. Right?

 

A member of Collegiate’s training staff since 2019, she’s treated injuries, assisted with rehab, and provided moral support for athletes who need a caring, compassionate ear.

 

She’s the consummate professional: highly skilled, tireless, and steadfastly dedicated to her calling and to those whom she serves.

 

It’s no surprise, then, that this past spring when she had the opportunity to take her altruism to a higher level, she never hesitated.

 

On April 27, Tate donated stem cells to a 57-year-old man, whose identity was unknown to her, who was suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

 

Her gift saved his life.

 

Tate’s donation journey began in 2018 on the Commons at Longwood University, her alma mater, when she provided a cheek swab to add to the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry’s list of potential donors.

 

Her motivation was personal. Two years before, D’Marco Jackson, a childhood friend, died at 19 of aplastic anemia and complications of multiple bone marrow transplants. They had known each other since they went through the ranks of the Laurel Panthers rec league football program — Tate as a cheerleader and Jackson as the star quarterback.

 

“He led the team to quite a few victories,” Tate said. “He was a hilarious individual and fun to be around. Very kind. When I saw the registry opportunity, I thought of him. It was in his honor, for sure.”

 

The initial process was simple.

 

“I swabbed my cheek and wrote down my information, and that was it,” she said. “I didn’t hear from them. I almost forgot I even did it.”

 

Then, during Collegiate’s most recent winter break, she received the phone call that changed her life.

 

“It was crazy,” she said. “It caught me off guard. Once I saw ‘Gift of Life’ on my phone, my heart skipped a beat. I got so excited. I remembered thinking, Oh, my gosh, I’m on the registry. Maybe I’m somebody’s match. I didn’t know where (the recipient) was. I just knew that he’s someone on this planet who needed help, and I was able to give him a chance to keep fighting.”

 

The three month long testing process began in short order. She underwent several physical exams and multiple rounds of blood work at Concentra, an urgent care facility near her home.

 

“They had to make sure I didn’t have any diseases,” she said. “They had to make sure I wasn’t on certain medications that would interfere with the injections I would have to receive. They had to make sure I was mentally ready for it, because it’s a tough process.  

 

“The recipient’s doctor decides whether they need bone marrow or stem cells, so they gave me the rundown for both options. I was hoping they would say stem cells because the bone marrow transplant is quite invasive and painful, but I was cool to do either one. I was excited to help in any way, honestly.”

 

Convenience and ease in the lead-up to the donation are paramount for donors.

 

“The Gift of Life team sets everything up,” she said. “I didn’t have to plan anything or pay for anything.”

 

On Thursday, April 23, Tate began a five-day regimen of Filgrastim injections designed to increase the concentration of stem cells in her blood. Her first round of injections occurred at Concentra. A travel nurse came to her house and administered the next three rounds. The fifth took place the next morning at MedStar George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC, the site of her donation.

 

“The first two days, I didn’t notice anything different, but after that, the side effects were pretty intense,” Tate said. “On the third day, I had really bad back pain and headaches and a little bit of dizziness. It was difficult. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of really helping someone.”

 

The actual donation took about three hours, she said.

 

“They hooked me up to a machine that took blood out of one port and centrifuged it, pulled the stem cells out, and gave me the blood back without the stem cells. I did have minor complications. My blood vessels kept constricting around the IV which would stop the process, so they had to put warming blankets on me and put a heater into the bed that was blowing warm air to keep me hot to dilate my blood vessels.

 

“The nurses there were amazing. They checked on me. They offered me breakfast. They explained everything that was going on. I was comforted by their professionalism, their care, and their knowledge. They made the process so seamless.”

 

Despite the discomfort, Tate was fascinated by the experience.

 

“It was really cool watching the stem cells being collected in a bag,” she said. “They were this orange-red color. It was awesome. And I actually got to see the transplant team come in with the cooler and collect the stem cells, package (the collection vessel) up, seal it, and sign it. They were out of the door before you could snap your fingers. They were going right to the recipient.”

 

Later that day, Tate was discharged and returned to the nearby hotel room which the Gift of Life team had secured for her.

 

“I was pretty much out of it with body pain, headaches, and dizziness, so I rested for the rest of the day,” she said. “The following morning, my boyfriend (Marcus Moore) drove me back to Richmond. He was the backbone of the whole thing. When I was in pain, he had jokes that made me forget about the discomfort. He made me laugh. He made sure to remind me to stay hydrated. He kept reminding me that this was for the greater good. Somebody would be able to heal because of this. He also prayed for me. That was really big.”

 

Her headaches and body aches dissipated within 48 hours, and she was soon back in the Robins Campus training room, her home away from home. She’s had no residual issues.

 

“It’s pretty harmless,” she said. “Just temporary discomfort. It doesn’t have any long-term effects. I wish I could do it again and again and again. If I happen to match with somebody, if the same person needs stem cells again, I will do it again.

 

“You have to remember that we all get one life, so why not help someone live theirs a year longer, 10 years longer, 20 years longer. If you have a chance to join a registry, join the registry. You can save someone’s life. I’m someone’s daughter. I’m a dog mom. I’m a girlfriend. I’m a sister, and I really hope that if I needed a match, someone would do that for me.

 

Her pride in her beneficence is unparalleled, she said.

 

“It’s been pretty surreal,” Tate said. “It’s hard to find the words for it. I still don’t know where he (her recipient) is. All I know is that he’s doing well. This is a life-changing opportunity for someone other than yourself. I’m beyond proud of myself. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

~Weldon Bradshaw