Quakers sharing to save lives

Sports metaphors are often greatly exaggerated. However, once in a while it actually is about life and death.

Last week, Penn football players junior J.P. Grant and senior Robert Gawlas,showed humility and compassion when both donated bone marrow that may help save the lives of others.

“I just wanted to do a good thing,” said Gawlas, a tight end who also sees time on special teams. “Any way to help somebody out, I was going to do it. Even if it was somebody I didn’t know.”

For Grant, the decision to donate was personal.

“One of my older cousins, Eric, had leukemia when he was in college and his brother, Kevin, was the donor for him and that wound up saving his life,” said the senior defensive back. “With that in my family history, I realized it was a tremendous opportunity to save somebody’s life.”

The pair had to put their summer plans on hold as they underwent procedures within days of each other at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Gawlas got a call in February that he could be a potential match, but since only one out of seven candidates goes on to be the donor of choice, he had to go in for blood tests, urine tests and X-rays to check for compatibility.

The pair was given injections of Filgrastim to stimulate production of blood stem cells and increase circulation in the bloodstream. Then, five days before the procedure, both players were given medication, which they continued to receive until the procedure took place.

In the past, an invasive surgery to draw marrow from the bone was the only way to collect blood stem cells. Today, however, it’s more common to collect blood stem cells directly from the blood, through a process known as peripheral stem call transplantation.

During the donation, blood is taken out through a catheter in a vein in the arm. The blood is then sent through a machine that takes out the stem cells and the rest of the blood is returned through a vein in the other arm.

“I actually felt better leaving the hospital than I did coming in,” Grant said.

“I had a sore back and headache [leading up to the] procedure,” Gawlas added. “I felt fine after the procedure, but no heavy lifting for a week and no strenuous activity for two weeks.”

Due to patient confidentiality, neither knows who they are donating to, but at the same time, they both feel that nothing could compare to the idea that their donation may save a life.

“I hope the cells work for [the patients],” Grant said. “I would wish them the best of luck and say I’m praying for them.”

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