Volume 120 Issue 7 Friday, October 23, 2015
News
Muskingum student donates cells Lindsey Kreamer Arts & Entertainment Editor
Chase Myers, is a senior at Muskingum University, and he recently made a potentially life-saving donation of stem cells to an unknown male in the United States over summer break. He did so at the Arthur G. James Cancer The Wallhouse Hotel construction Hospital and Richard J. Solove is almost completed. It is expected Research Institute in Columbus. to open in mid-November. Myers signed up for the Be The Match registry on campus. It is a program that registers potential and connects them with Arts & Entertainment donors people in need of a transplant. He registered last year initially to help out a friend in his fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Myers went in knowing that there was a less than a one percent chance that he would be a match with someone and be considered for a possible donation. Over summer break, Myers got a call telling him he had been matched with a male who was di“The Apostlettes” is a piece agnosed with Acute Lymphoblascurrently residing in the Louis O. tic Leukemia somewhere in the Palmer Art Gallery. United States. “I got a call in July and found out that I had matched, and there was this realization over the summer that the guy that I was donating to was just one in a million,” said Myers. “[But] I was his one chance of hope. I was his one chance at getting out of this and that meant a lot to me and I felt that I had to go through with it.” Myers went through a series of medical procedures over the next couple of weeks to ensure the best outcome of the donation for both him and the recipient including a The John Glenn High School variety of tests and injections. golfers kick off their journey to “It was really nerve-wrackthe state tournament. ing,” said Myers. “It’s lots of
SPORTS
shots, lots of tests, they took lots of blood and I’m not a big fan of needles, [it was] a really nervous process for me.” Myers then started a week long preparation at the beginning of October that included two daily shots of a drug called Neupogen to stimulate his stem cell growth so that his bones over-processed cells to create a surplus of cells in his bloodstream. On Monday Oct. 5, Myers had his last set of injections and was ready to donate. For the donation, Myers was hooked up to an apheresis machine for the three and a half-hour donation process. The apheresis machine cycled through 12 liters of Myers’ blood, taking blood from a needle in one arm and collecting the stem cells, then returning the blood back into his body through another needle and into his other arm. “The day there [at the cancer research center] was eye-opening,” said Myers. “I was able to talk to nurses that were there and deal with both sides of the donation, [the] patients who are donating and patients who are receiving the transplants. Hearing them talk about how much it means to the patients meant a lot to me.” Eight days prior to Myers’ donation, the male he was donating to had to have his entire system cleansed, so he was, in theory, cancer free before the procedure. “He was diagnosed with ALL [Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia] and at that moment he no longer had that disease,” said Myers. “But the problem was his body can’t regenerate at that point. So the hope is that they can put mine in and he will regenerate
Homecoming Weekend Events 2015: Friday, October 23 Library Dedication
4 p.m. at the Roberta A. Smith Library
Varsity Revue
8:30 p.m. in the John Glenn Gym. The Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned.
Saturday, October 24 Lindsey Kreamer/ Black & Magenta Chase Myers is a senior at Muskingum University. He also was a match to an unknown male who was in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Fun Run
8:30 a.m. on the East Lawn
Lunch
10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on the East Lawn. Rain location is the John Glenn Gym.
the healthy cells because were so Parade close to a genetic match that his Noon on Main Street, body won’t recognize that my Lakeside and Stadium Drive cells aren’t his.” After 45 days Myers will hear Football vs. back from the cancer research Ohio Northern center and find out if the transfu1:30 p.m. at McConagha sion was successful. Stadium “Once he’s healthy, that’ll be hopefully within the 45 days, Collage Concert they’ll tell me he’s doing really 7 p.m. in Brown Chapel well,” said Meyers. “Then in a year they’ll get in contact with me Womens Soccer vs. and give me the chance to meet Ohio Northern him. I’m really hoping he agrees 7 p.m. at McConagha Stadium so we get the chance to meet.” Though the process started MU After Dark off nerve-wracking for Myers he 9 p.m. in John Glenn Gym. looks back at the tests and needles Food provided, $5 entry fee. as less than daunting. Anyone can sign up for the bone marrow donor registry and Sunday, October 25 students usually have the opportu“Proof” nity every few years through cam2 p.m. Thompson Theatre pus sponsored programs.