In a world where kindness and selflessness can transform lives, donating bone marrow is a life-changing act of compassion. Sara Taipale, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, became a pharmacist to help people. When she received the call to be a bone marrow donor, she didn’t hesitate.
Be the Match
Visit NMDP to learn more and sign up for the national bone marrow donor registry.
Eight years ago, as a student at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Sara registered with a bone marrow donor program. Life moved on as she graduated, began her career, met her future husband, Clint, and prepared for a wedding.
Six weeks before her October 2024 wedding, Sara received a life-changing call: she could be a bone marrow match.
Blood tests later determined Sara was indeed the best match for her donor – a young patient who lived out of state and had leukemia, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer.
“I was honored to get the call to help this person and hopefully help them live more years or get a cure for their disease,” Sara said.
After receiving a medical evaluation to ensure she was healthy, Sara received injections to increase her stem cell count in the weeks prior to the donation. While the medication caused mild side effects like fatigue and achiness, Sara remembered the greater purpose.
“Any discomfort I felt was temporary and nothing compared to what the recipient was going through,” she explained.
Sara and Clint flew to Texas for the donation. The National Bone Marrow Donor ProgramSM, formerly known as Be the Match®, covered their expenses.
Today, more than 90% of donors like Sara can do a peripheral stem cell (PBSC) donation, which involves extracting stem cells from the blood. A small percentage of patients still require donation through the traditional process that requires a minor surgical procedure.
Sara spent eight hours at the Houston medical center where her blood was drawn, filtered to collect stem cells and returned to her body. The process was straightforward and painless.
“When I left the clinic that day, I felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment,” Sara said. “Knowing that my donation could potentially save a life was the greatest reward.”
In a few months, Sara will learn if her donation was successfully transplanted. Due to privacy policies, donors and recipients typically remain anonymous, but Sara was told she might be able to connect with the recipient in the future if both parties agreed.
Sara’s story underscores the incredible impact one person can have on someone’s life. Each year, thousands of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases rely on the generosity of strangers for a chance at survival.
For Sara, the experience was life-changing. “I encourage anyone healthy and eligible to consider registering as a bone marrow donor,” she said. “You never know whose life you could change or even save.”
