The Lives We Touch - Donor Stories

College Station, Texas - a Home of Heroes

 In College Station, Texas, the word "Hero" has a special meaning. In addition to the many heroes from the police or fire departments and other organizations, communities also have many individuals that have been true heroes by giving a very special gift — bone marrow. These marrow donors have never met the recipients of their bone marrow and do not know where they are from. Each of them registered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to help others in need and enthusiastically proceeded with the process to be a marrow donor once identified as a match.

Benito Flores-Meath became the first donor from College Station identified by the marrow donor program as a potential donor, after he registered at a drive for a local child in need of a transplant. The next year, Ed Copeland was identified as a confirmed match for a man with leukemia. It was only a few months later that two additional College Station residents were found to be matches—one for a young woman with leukemia and the other for a small child. Dr. Lynn Rees and Jennifer Webb joined over 7,500 other special heroes around the world that were marrow donors at that time.

The following year, Texas A&M University junior Luke Bolton was found to be a special match for a young husband and father needing a transplant. There was never any hesitation—through final exams and his brother's graduation and wedding, Luke was always ready to do whatever was needed. Having passed the one-year waiting period for donors and recipients to wait before contacting one another, Luke and his recipient have talked on the phone and hope to meet one day soon.

We now have over 25,000 donors worldwide that have given that special chance to patients needing transplants. The new millennium also brought more Aggie donors to the NMDP. Tamara Harding was contacted about donating. Tamara works for the Texas A&M University College of Medicine in Temple. Tamara was also a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell donor.

For these Aggies, as well as thousands of other Texas A&M Aggies on the registry, the word "sharing" has a very special meaning. They have given that special chance that no other person in the world could provide—a chance for a cure. These donors have also been instrumental in getting the word out to other Aggies, as well as through their church and community. On behalf of the thousands of patients searching for someone that can give them that special chance, thank you Benito, Ed, Lynn, Jennifer, Luke and Tamara. You exemplify the true spirit of caring about your fellow man.

Back to Top