VCSU senior Loke Iese is pictured with the medical team that helped with his stem cell donation.
Written by Sarah Monilaws, ’26

Valley City State University senior Loke Iese recently had the chance to make a life-changing stem cell donation, and it all started with a simple cheek swab on campus. 

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) – formerly known as Be the Match – focuses on cell and marrow therapies in an effort to save lives. The Viking football program has worked with NMDP over the last several years to help find donors for patients in need. Iese, a linebacker for the Vikings, chose to register as a donor through a simple cheek swab as a way to give back to the community. When he received the call about matching with someone in need, he didn’t think twice. He immediately boarded a plane and flew to Phoenix, Ariz., ready to undergo the procedure and make a life-changing impact. 

Iese recalls the donation being a fun and painless process. After completing his final lab work, the doctors wasted no time getting Iese ready for the donation procedure. Donating peripheral blood stem cells is similar to donating blood, as opposed to the traditional bone marrow extraction.  

“Once we started, it didn’t take long for my lab work to come back to know how long I was going to be donating,” said Iese. “My donation only took about 2 hours.”   

Viking assistant head football coach Gregg Horner hopes Iese’s story inspires others to register to be a donor. 

“I think it’s important (to be a donor) because if you had a child, friend, parent or family member that was in need of a donation, you would want somebody to step up and do it for you too,” said Horner.

Currently 70% of patients don’t have matches and 12,000 whose only hope for a cure is a transplant from an unrelated donor. When donors sign up, they increase the chances of saving someone’s life. After seeing the impact his own experience could make, Iese would like to encourage more people to register. 
 
“People should sign up to be a donor because it offers a unique opportunity to save a life,” he said. “For patients with life-threatening blood diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant can be their best or only chance at survival.” 

Signing up to be a donor is a simple process with lasting rewards. 

“While the donation process may require some time and minor discomfort, the impact is life changing,” said Iese. “The sacrifice is small compared to what patients endure, and your decision to donate could give someone years of life with their loved ones.” 

If you want to leave a lasting impact and change a life like Loke Iese, you can join the NMDP registry. Donors must be between the ages of 18-40, a resident of the U.S. or one of its territories or freely associated states and able to meet medical guidelines. If you have any questions about the NMDP registry or want to learn more, contact Keesha Mason at keesha.mason@nmdp.org or visit www.nmdp.org