Save Lives with Donor Ariana and Lagree Dungeon

Hi, my name is Ariana and in January of 2023, I donated blood stem cells to a patient with blood cancer. This all started almost 12 years ago when I was working for the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club and they hosted a blood drive and marrow registry. I regularly donated blood at the time and figured, why not? Maybe I could help someone in need.

When I received the call that I was a potential match, I was in shock because I signed up so long ago because such a small percentage of people on the registry are matched with a patient in need. I was a bit emotional at the thought of someone with cancer needing my help, so I said yes and initiated the donation process. DKMS made the process as easy as possible, and I would donate again in a second if asked.

Along the way, I learned that there aren’t many people of color on the donor registry list. Ethnicity is the key to a perfect match between donor and recipient. So, I’m partnering with Lagree Dungeon, the fitness studio where I teach, to host this virtual drive to inform people about the registry and to encourage people of all backgrounds to sign up. The more people on the registry list, the more likely a patient can get the lifesaving transplant they need.