Jake Kinsley became a bone marrow donor to help save the life of a stranger. Kinsley put his name on a donor list three years ago to help a relative. He wasn’t a match in that case. Then he forgot about it until he received a call this year about being a donor for a stranger. After some initial tests, he was told he was a perfect match and he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
The recipient was a 55-year old mother with leukemia. When given a chance to save someone’s life, Kinsley took that chance. “I hope that the impact that I made on her was as big as the impact she made on me,” said Kinsley. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
He was able to go to classes the day after the procedure. For about a month after the procedure, Kinsley had to be careful as his body built up platelets. He was susceptible to bruising and bleeding easily. He was also easily fatigued during the month following the procedure. He had to miss a portion of his senior baseball season, including a game against Clemson, a big rival, though he was able to accompany the team in the dugout. It’s worth it to give someone else a chance, said Kinsley. “It’s a great opportunity to help someone else and I would never pass it up. You would hope someone else would do the same for you if you needed it.”
Kinsley’s procedure was done at Greenville Health Systems Cancer Institute in March. The procedure removed half of his platelets. According to Kinsley, the procedure took about four to six hours. “They put a needle in one arm, took what they needed, spun it around, and put another needle in my other arm and put it back. Then it was given to the recipient the next day,” said Kinsley. “It was pretty simple. The success rate is very good.”
Kinsley received nationwide recognition for his donation. He was interviewed on NBC and Good Morning America.
Kinsley grew up in Manhasset and attended Manhasset elementary and middle school as well as Regis High School in New York City. He graduated cum laude from Furman University in Greenville, SC, on May 9 with a degree in both Chinese Culture and Language and Business Administration. He was a lector at the Church of St. Mary in Manhasset throughout high school. Kinsley was a catcher on the Furman baseball team.
Kinsley will be residing in Atlanta, GA, and starting a job as an investment banking analyst at Croft & Bender.
If you are interested in being a bone marrow donor, you can find out more information and register through www.bethematch.org.
