An advertisement in Noelle Woods’ Instagram feed led to a potentially life-saving procedure. When she was 18 years old, Wood made the decision to register with NMDP, the national registry that connects patients with life-threatening illnesses to stem cell and bone marrow donors.
Formerly known as Be The Match and the National Marrow Donor Program, NMDP seeks potential donors in the age range of 18 through 35. They’ve reported that 70% of their patients in need of a transplant do not have a donor match within their family.
After stumbling across the advertisement, Wood began researching the program, the registry and the procedure to see if it was something that she would want to be a part of.
“What really led me to donate was my faith in Christ,” she reflected. “I never would have chosen to do something like this without Him doing a work in my heart and giving me a desire to help others,” she said.
The Donation Process
After applying to the program, the organization sent Wood a cheek swab kit in order to retrieve her DNA and enter her into their system. Then, she had to wait for the call that would confirm they found a match — which would end up taking over two years.
“They want to get the patient the transplant as soon as possible, so after getting the call, the process moves really quickly,” Wood recalled.
NMDP does not disclose the recipient’s identity or location to donors, but provides basic details about their gender, age and disease. The recipient receives similar information about the donor.
Wood discovered that she would be completing a peripheral blood stem cell donation. In preparation for the procedure, she was placed on a drug to increase her white blood cell count.
Wood traveled to Washington, D.C., to have the procedure done at one of NMDP’s participating hospitals. The organization covered all of the costs involved for her and her mother, who she brought as her permitted guest, including airfare, lodging, transportation and meals.
The procedure took almost seven hours. From receiving the call that confirmed a match to successfully donating, the entire process with NMDP occurred within the span of a month.
Spreading the Word
Following this experience, Wood has worked to recruit her fellow students at Southeastern University to register as donors through NMDP.
“I knew there would be so much potential for future donors here on campus,” she said. “Especially as a Christian college, our students have a desire to serve and love people the way that Jesus first loved us.”
In the fall of 2023, Wood brought NMDP’s Florida enrollment coordinator to campus and held an informational two-day event for the university community. About 130 students and a few staff and faculty members gathered for a presentation session where they had the chance to learn about the registry and hear Wood’s personal story and experience with the organization.
The next day, Wood stationed herself and the representative with an informational booth on the main campus walkway to sign up interested students. They shared about the registration process, the need for diverse donors and assisted students in completing cheek swab kits.
“The significance of having college students like Noelle support NMDP is priceless,” said Devan Bolden, the organization’s Florida enrollment coordinator. “We currently have a brand awareness of only 10% in the United States, so having the opportunity to spread awareness increases the chance of providing life-saving procedures for our patients.”
The event produced successful results with a total of 64 students signing up to join the registry. “It was such a blessing to see so many people come out for the event. Through this, God provided donors and He also provided servants. I hope to continue this partnership with NMDP and hold this event annually on campus.”
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