An ailing cousin and some sound childhood advice from his parents had Kyle Sykes in a chair in Texas this spring, needles and tubes running from his arms to a machine that was extracting blood rich with stem cells.
That cousin was diagnosed several years ago with the blood cancer leukemia, so Sykes, 24, joined NMDP, formerly known as National Marrow Donor Program and Be the Match, to see if he could provide his cousin with potentially life-saving stem cells.
Unfortunately, he was not a match for his cousin. (His cousin did find a match and is now cancer-free.)
Over his five years on the registry, Sykes, an admissions processor at Florida Tech since January, matched with two people, but health complications or other developments stalled those efforts.
Third time was the charm.
He got the call, did the testing, matched, and starting April 4 began the regiment of five daily injections needed prior to the donation. On April 8, while the world was watching the solar eclipse, Sykes was in that chair in San Antonio, Texas, hooked up to a dialysis-like machine that removes his blood, extracts the stem cells and then returns the blood to his body.
“My mother is the one who taught me to be kind and generous. She tells me I was often a very generous kid, giving others my Christmas gifts or just sharing what I had with others,” Sykes said. “My father taught me a very important life lesson: to leave a place the same or better than when you got there. I always keep that with me and apply it to more than just visiting a park or hanging out with a friend.”
The decision to assist a total stranger, to go through the medical discomforts, the travel, the upheaval, was never in question.
“I believe you should help people if you are able to, especially if you know what they are going through. It was not even a decision I had to make when I got the call saying I was a match with someone who may have another chance at life with a donation of my stem cells,” Sykes said.
If all goes well for the recipient, they are allowed to contact Sykes one year from the donation. He is eager for that encounter. Also one year from now, Sykes will sign back up to be on the donor registry.
“It’s definitely not something I want to do every month or year, but if I am matched again I would do it. It feels amazing to know I did what I could to help someone.”
NMDP has facilitated more than 120,000 transplants since 1987. Prospective recipients are generally 18-35 years old. “A bunch of healthy and willing Florida Tech students and staff could make an amazing difference,” Sykes notes.
Learn more about joining the registry.
