SAAC Registers Bone Marrow Donors through Project Life
December 06, 2017 | Boston College Athletics, Devlin Student-Athlete Formation & Succe
This is the second year the Eagles ran the drive
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - After returning from the Thanksgiving holiday, Boston College student-athletes partnered with Project Life Movement (PLM) to help save the lives of patients suffering with blood-related cancers and sickle cell anemia.
BC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), under the guidance of president Allyson Frei (softball), held drives to register bone marrow donors. Drives were held at McElory Commons and Lyons Hall with the final effort coming during the BC-BU hockey game at Kelley Rink. The Eagles encouraged fellow students and fans to "save a life through a simple cheek swab" and to "be like (former Eagle) Luke Kuechly and get on the bone marrow registry." Just over 200 new potential life-savers were registered during the two-day drive.
Project Life Movement is national collegiate program committed to curing blood related diseases and saving lives by registering volunteers with a simple cheek swab.
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"The energy and enthusiasm of the student-athletes made these drives really successful," said Dean Thompson, executive director of PLM. "They were fantastic in recruiting and helped add lots of potential new donors to the registry."Â Â
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Two BC students including Willa Nathan (class of 2016) and sophomore Tommy Cleary assisted with the drive efforts. Nathan, who registered at the PLM drive last fall, donated bone marrow in April of her senior year. She shared that the experience was "…one of the most profound experiences of my life." Cleary received the gift of a bone marrow donation in 2013. He is passionate about volunteering to help add people to the national bone marrow registry so that everyone who needs a lifesaving match has a matching donor. Kuechly serves as the PLM national ambassador.
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"The efforts of the Boston College SAAC in helping to build the national registry are outstanding, Thompson said. "Last fall was our first time on campus and the two students who registered and went on to donate bone marrow (including Willa Nathan) have dramatically changed the lives of two patients and their families. They are heroes in our minds."
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Project Life Movement is connected to Boston College through a partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC and its member institutions' SAACs have committed to assist PLM to build the national registry by educating and empowering  students by hosting bone marrow drives on their respective campuses.
BC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), under the guidance of president Allyson Frei (softball), held drives to register bone marrow donors. Drives were held at McElory Commons and Lyons Hall with the final effort coming during the BC-BU hockey game at Kelley Rink. The Eagles encouraged fellow students and fans to "save a life through a simple cheek swab" and to "be like (former Eagle) Luke Kuechly and get on the bone marrow registry." Just over 200 new potential life-savers were registered during the two-day drive.
Project Life Movement is national collegiate program committed to curing blood related diseases and saving lives by registering volunteers with a simple cheek swab.
Â
"The energy and enthusiasm of the student-athletes made these drives really successful," said Dean Thompson, executive director of PLM. "They were fantastic in recruiting and helped add lots of potential new donors to the registry."Â Â
Â
Two BC students including Willa Nathan (class of 2016) and sophomore Tommy Cleary assisted with the drive efforts. Nathan, who registered at the PLM drive last fall, donated bone marrow in April of her senior year. She shared that the experience was "…one of the most profound experiences of my life." Cleary received the gift of a bone marrow donation in 2013. He is passionate about volunteering to help add people to the national bone marrow registry so that everyone who needs a lifesaving match has a matching donor. Kuechly serves as the PLM national ambassador.
Â
"The efforts of the Boston College SAAC in helping to build the national registry are outstanding, Thompson said. "Last fall was our first time on campus and the two students who registered and went on to donate bone marrow (including Willa Nathan) have dramatically changed the lives of two patients and their families. They are heroes in our minds."
Â
Project Life Movement is connected to Boston College through a partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC and its member institutions' SAACs have committed to assist PLM to build the national registry by educating and empowering  students by hosting bone marrow drives on their respective campuses.
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