EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU Athletics Department is excited to partner with NMDP, formerly Be The Match, again this year, counting on the ESU community to show up and sign up for the chance to save lives.
 
ESU is hosting its sixth annual RelentlesS Be The Match Bone Marrow Drive, which honors the memories of ESU student-athletes Ryan Smith and Alyssa Oxenford. NMDP was created to manage the nation's registry of blood stem cell donors. There are over 75 different blood cancers and blood disorders that can be treated or cured through a blood stem cell transplant, and there are about 18,000 people every year who are diagnosed with these conditions who will likely require a transplant.
 
One of the main issues those with blood cancers or blood disorders face is only 25% of patients will find a matching donor in their family. That's where NMDP steps in. For the remaining three-quarters of patients, they work to help them find a match from all over the world.
 
"With genetics, you inherit these markers in your body, half from your mom, half from your dad," Public Relations Manager Erica Sevilla said. "You're most likely to match a sibling, but not every sibling matches. So the majority of patients turn to the registry. We have more than nine million people on the U.S. registry, which is what NMDP manages, and then we have more than 43 million potential donors worldwide. So any patient in need of a transplant, their doctors will search the NMDP Registry, and that's where they're looking for the best possible match."
 
With backgrounds in the U.S. becoming more and more diverse, that means different combinations of HLA types, protein markers on your cells, and other genetic markers that make a match a match are becoming increasingly harder to find. Because of this, NMDP is constantly looking to add more potential donors to the registry.
 
"What we have noticed is that we have people who have very unique genetic tissue types," Sevilla said. "So we need to continue to recruit young, healthy, diverse donors from all backgrounds, because you never know when somebody is going to need your blood stem cells. It's impossible to predict."
 
NMDP promotes its cause heavily on college campuses. NMDP's Get In The Game program was specifically designed to promote donor registration to college students in partnership with student-athletes. When one Warrior signs up to join the donor registration, they're more likely to get their classmates, teammates, and entire community to sign up in case a match is found. So when NMDP educates students about the need for donors, it doesn't take long for the community to rally around the cause.
 
"[College students] recognize that you don't know if you're going to get the call to donate to somebody. But if you do, they want to make a difference and help people," Sevilla said." College students in particular are altruistic, they're focused on making their lives better and improving the world around them."
 
The following Q&A was three separate interviews conducted with former ESU men's wrestler Carlens Lapaix, former ESU football quarterback Ben Moser, and Director of Athletics Dr. Allen G. Snook Jr. All three have participated in donor drives, received a call telling them a match was found, and have gone through the donation process.
 

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What was the timeline of participating in your initial donor drive to completing your donation?
CL: About four years ago, they were doing mouth swabs at the University Center. And so I did it; I didn't think anything of it. I was like, "What if, right?" I was with a couple of buddies of mine on the wrestling team; it was something that we did, and we carried on our day. Then, around December of 2025. I got a call on my phone, and it was like, "Hey, are you Carlens Lapaix? Do you remember the swab you did, bone marrow?" They always told me that there's always a chance. And they said, "Would you like to do it?" I said, "Yes." I figured it was just the right thing to do. If someone's in need and I'm a match, why would I not help them out? I figured that since I'm a match, I'll do it. The next week, they gave me an additional call asking if I was in the military service, which I told them yes because I'm a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard. They transferred my case to Salute for Life, and it was a seamless process. I was finishing up my wrestling season at the same time. So it was certain dates had to be pulled back, certain dates had to be pushed forward, but I was always available. I ended up having a really terrific year wrestling-wise and didn't have to miss any of it. After that, I talked to my family and my friends, and people are skeptical, but I always said, "I don't know how it is to be in their shoes. But I have the choice. I have the ability. I'm just going to do the right thing." I kept on working through the process, doing additional testing. I would go just to do a quick blood donation, and they took care of the rest. A little bit after graduation, I went to do my donation in the Midwest. It was successful; they congratulated me and thanked me for all I've done. I think it's just something you're supposed to do, and I really enjoyed it.
 
BM: Back in the beginning, in the middle of May, I got a phone call from a Minnesota number. And with the field of work I'm in, I accept all phone calls because I don't know if it's a builder or a contractor. So I answer it, and they ask if this is Ben Moser and they're from the NMDP. "Do you recall signing up or doing a cheek swab for Be The Match back in 2017?" I did, because I remember the football team did it as an awareness event on campus. So we all did it. And then they were like, "Well, we're excited to let you know that, because you did this cheek swab, we found a match for you." They basically just gave me the basic information about the match and were like, "They're not doing so well. So, if you are serious about being a stem cell donor, we really need to get this process rolling." I thought, absolutely, that would be awesome. I'm obviously very honored and grateful for the opportunity to prolong their life and spend some more time with family and all those beautiful things that come along with the process. So from there I had a couple of phone calls with people from NMDP, set up lab work for blood draws and physicals. I had my stem cell donation shortly after, and luckily, I was able to do it down here at a transplant center near me in South Carolina. I went ahead and did the cell donation on one day, and [the patient] received them the next day.
 
AS: I was at a college that I worked at where they did a simple swab of your cheek. They sent it out, and then I got a phone call saying that they wanted me to do some blood work. I was actually fairly quick. I got a call within three months. And then after the first round of testing, they found out that I wasn't as close as they thought I was. I got a second phone call where the patient actually ended up not being able to go through the process. And then it was a third phone call, which probably was eight months afterwards. But I was pretty quick. I did about two to three rounds of blood work. Ended up with everything coming back. The final question was, "Do you really want to do this?" Because once you get to a certain point in the process, they're also prepping the patient. So, if you choose to stop the process, then they have to move forward with the patient in a different way. I ended up doing the stem cell donation. It's really like if you have ever donated plasma, where they take your blood, they put it into a machine, and they spin it out. It's called apheresis. And then honestly, I was in and out in a day, and back to work the next day.
 
 
What made you want to become a donor in the first place?
CL: It was more like I just saw it and thought, "Why not?" There's a history of cancer in my family. My father had prostate cancer for a little bit. I had a lot of family and friends who had their own experiences. I've always wanted to help people and believed in treating people the way you want to be treated, lending a helping hand in whatever way you can. So I figured it would be wrong for me not to have firsthand experience. Even though my dad got surgery, his prostate and everything removed, I still had firsthand experience. I know multiple people who had firsthand experiences. It would be wrong of me not to help. Because if somebody's been there, all you want is to help, so I figured I would do it.
 
AS: I was still doing sports medicine at that point, and that's all about helping people. And my family has a long history of different cancers in it. So anything that I could do to help, with that trajectory to help someone else, was why I really wanted to do it.


What were the emotions like when you got the call that you were a match?
CL: I hear them tell me, "Hey, you're a match." I'm like, "Wow, this is really cool," because I recognize that it's going to be a process, but it's a good process. Life's full of journeys, so why not take this one? Why not go on this adventure and help somebody at the end of the day? Because at the end of the day, we live this life to live it to our best and our fullest. I am a full supporter of that. Why not help somebody else to do that? So, when I got the call, it was cool. I don't know if I really digested it. I think I just always knew that my mind was just, "Do the right thing, do the right thing, do the right thing." I do recognize that I helped my recipient and their family to a tremendous degree. I don't think I know how much. I'm happy with what I did. Maybe I just don't understand the gravity as much as other people have told me the gravity, but I'm happy with what I did. 
 
BM: Initially, I was really surprised. I know the likelihood of being a match with somebody is so low. Granted, it would have been 2017, so getting a phone call almost 10 years later, you're super surprised. But again, I'm honored, grateful, and really excited to go forward with the process to be able to give some life to this recipient while they're still here with us. 
 
AS: To be honest with you, it is such a rare thing that at first I was like, is it real? Did they call the wrong person? But going through the process, realizing how it is such a small window of how people are somehow connected to somebody else, right through your genetics, and through what they're looking for, there was no way I was not going to do it.


Have you been able to talk to your recipient at all?
CL: Through Salute for Life, I believe NMDP as well, there's a year-long wait until you can know the name of your recipient. All I knew was their gender, their age, and what they had. But other than that, I don't know where they live. I don't know where they're located. [As far as hearing from transplant recipients,] I mostly just watched a lot of YouTube videos. It really helped me understand more that this is a really beneficial thing to do for others. I wish I did that more, looking back. I was able to talk and get other people's experiences and how they really felt as recipients. I know once this year-long wait ends, I'd like to see my recipient, maybe have a dinner with them and their family, and get to know them one-on-one. Just to understand what I did, because to me it felt like light, but I know to them, it's the world. I want to get to connect those two. 
 
BM: Not yet. So with it happening recently, there's a protocol that NMDP follows after the procedure's concluded. They give you follow-ups every couple of months to let you know how the recipient's doing, how they're progressing, if they are progressing. They do have a procedure in place where they will give me updates over time. And then I think after a year, you can maybe reach out to the recipient and email one another, call one another, whatever it might be. And then I think it's another year later, you can formally meet the family or the recipient if they're still around. There's a little bit of time that still needs to pass before I can get updates from NMDP or from the family or the recipient just on the progress they're making after the stem cell transplant. 
 
AS: When I donated, almost 15 years ago now at this point, there was about a two-year wait period. Two years after my donation, I did get a letter from the mother of the recipient saying, "Thank you." This individual, all I knew was he was a young adult male and that he was still thriving in society.

 
How easy has the whole process been working with NMDP to complete your donation?
CL: It was smooth because NMDP works with you. Once you're a match, they work around you and your schedule. They initially wanted to do the donation in April, but I told them I wasn't able to, needing to finish school and my wrestling season. So they say, "Okay, we have a specific time frame that you would be able to donate." They push it forward a little bit after graduation. I said, "Great, I can do that." Graduating from school is a great thing, but helping out is even better. And they make it work. So they're really willing to do whatever you need them to because you are a match. It's not like you're a blood match. It's like you are a one-to-one match, and they find and comb through the number of people that they need to match with their recipient. It's a really arduous process. They covered my travel, hotel, and dining [and would have covered the expenses for another person traveling with me, too].
 
BM: Thankfully, I have a lot of flexibility with work, so I could work in when I could get in for those lab appointments. They kind of gave me priority and flexibility with getting in to get the lab draws and get the physicals and go to these places while supplementing mileage reimbursement and meals. They've been very helpful in that aspect of the process. They're always checking in on you just to see how you're doing, seeing if you're experiencing any symptoms. Their communication is great; they almost overcommunicate. That's how frequently the contact that you're in with from NMDP talks to you, and they're really thorough in what they do, very professional, and very easy to work with. I can't say enough great things about them. 
 
AS: At the time when I donated, my wife and I literally had a four-month-old child. I was a Director of Sports Medicine and a Senior Associate Athletic Director at Pfeiffer University at that point. But my campus was great about allowing me to go through with it. Now, I didn't tell many people. My immediate staff knew, and my HR group knew just because it was stuff I had to fill out. But I had to go to Wake Forest Med; that's where it was in North Carolina. So I traveled to Wake Forest Med and did the pre-day stuff. And then ended up going up the next day for a donation. And then, as I said, the next day I was back from work.
 

How rewarding has the process been?
BM: It was awesome. The whole process is so unique, and it's so rewarding just in the fact that, as I said, you get to give yourself to somebody who actually needs you. Most of the time, if somebody needs a transplant, somebody has to die for them to get that organ or whatever it may be. So being able to give somebody part of you while you're still here is obviously super special, whether they're somebody you know or a complete stranger. I don't think it really makes a difference.
 
AS: You don't literally get to tell people many times that something that you have inside of you was able to save someone's life. So for me, my whole goal is to help society and humanity in any way I can. With my background as an athletic trainer, I want to help people during their lowest time. For me, to know that I was able to do that for someone when there was no one else that they had to do that, I don't know why someone wouldn't want to do that.

 
Has your story driven anyone you know to register to become a donor?
CL: My sister, she's really into health and nature. Anytime someone's asked me, I'm like, "Hey, try it, swab, because you have nothing to lose." You're only doing a net positive in the world. You're only helping others. I think that, through this, through ESU's program, this is perfect for everybody to understand. People are often skeptical about anything and everything. But you're only doing a net positive towards the world, and that's what everyone should strive for. Anytime it's come up in conversations, I'm like, "Hey, man, I did it. I enjoyed it. Try it; you have nothing to lose." 
 
BM: With as recent as the call came and how quickly the process was ramped up to get my recipient their stem cells, I haven't really had the opportunity to kind of get more people on board, unfortunately. I probably should, but if there's a way to get more people involved, the more the merrier here. The more people within the database, the better the opportunity for somebody in need to get these stem cells. 
 
AS: A lot of my family members, a lot of my friends, have all done the swabs. All of my colleagues. It was strange because, at first, I was one of two out of all my colleagues to have it done. And after I donated, I believe 100% of all of my colleagues, even at other schools, ended up doing it. But honestly, no one else that I know has actually gone through the entire process outside of the individuals I have met here at East Stroudsburg.
 

If someone was on the fence about becoming a donor, what would your pitch to them be to become one?
CL: Imagine if it's your mom, your dad, your partner, a family member, the person that you hold near and dear; imagine if they had leukemia or cancer. Or do you know somebody who has gone through something like that? I feel like almost everybody knows someone that has gone through or had cancer, and they've known both positive stories where people end up in remission, and also know other stories where people fought, and they've sadly passed away. Imagine now you have the power, the key, the magic wand to say, this does not happen anymore. The gravity of that is something. It's in your hands, at least the idea that it could be, there's nothing wrong with that. So I implore campus wide, if you see [NMDP], just do it because you can stop somebody from suffering. You have the ability to stop somebody's pain; you have the ability to uplift a family, a community, and someone that could be just like you; you have that power. Have the ability to have the ability.
 
BM: If they were on the fence about being a donor, I would have them put themselves in the recipient's shoes. That could be your grandma, that could be your mom, that could be your dad, brother, sister; it doesn't matter. Just knowing that you have the opportunity to give this person a second chance at life, essentially. Put yourself in their shoes, and how would you feel if somebody that you knew or loved needed this stem cell transplant? It would be a no-brainer. And I hope that'd be the same for others. This has been an incredible opportunity, and I'm super grateful that you can have that opportunity to give somebody a second chance at life, essentially, just by donating some stem cells, which is a super simple process as well.
 
AS: My pitch would be, if it was someone in your immediate family, would you want that person to go through the process? My answer would always be yes. So, especially knowing, while going through it, that it really was not painful. Yes, it took some time out of my day, two days. But everything was taken care of financially by the group. There was no expense to me except for time and a little bit of blood work.