48th EMS member gives someone a second chance at life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jessica C. Donnelly
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Staff Sgt. James D. Kelley, 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron repair and reclamation journeyman, is saving a life by donating peripheral blood stem cells at Fairfax Hospital July 18.

The PBSC transplant consists of shots for five days to increase the stem cells in the bloodstream. On the fifth day, the blood is removed and the stem cells separated out for donation. The blood is then replaced back into the body explained Sergeant Kelley.

Doctors look for a match in the family first because there is a 30 percent chance of finding one, explained Tim C. Campbell, National Marrow Donor Program coordinator. However, if a match is not found, the doctors search the NMDP registry.

Sergeant Kelley signed up to become a donor in 2001 when he joined the Air Force. He did not hear from the C.W. Bill Young/DoD Marrow Donor Program about any matches until June of 2008, more than seven years later.

"It was a bit of a reality check, but once I realized why I am doing it, of course I still wanted to," said Sergeant Kelley about receiving the call.

"I think donating goes that extra step," he added. "Being in the military, they say you're saving lives everyday, now I'm going to get to do it first hand."

More than 5.5 million people have joined the NMDP, but only about 8 percent are a potential match like Sergeant Kelley. Once a potential match is found, a health screen is completed and more tests are done to see if the donor is an exact match. If the tests come back positive, the volunteer is then able to donate. Approximately 0.5 percent of the volunteers are an exact match.

Kori J. Kelley, Sergeant Kelley's wife, did not know that her husband was a donor until he had been contacted by the NMDP. She said she was nervous about him doing the procedure at first. She thought he was going to have to be put under and have surgery, but his match came back as needing just blood.

Mr. Campbell explained, the transplant center decides which procedure needs to be done, either through marrow or PBSC. A volunteer has the option to choose to do one procedure over the other, but they could potentially be refusing to donate to an exact match. Sergeant Kelley has agreed to do the PBSC transplant.

"I'm really proud of him," said Mrs. Kelley. "Not only is he serving our country, but he's also helping someone in need."

A year after a volunteer donates for the first time, their name is added back to the registry if they agree to it, explained Mr. Campbell. A volunteer can only donate up to two times.

Sergeant Kelley explained not much information is given about the person his donation is going to because of patient confidentiality. However, he does know his donation is going to help a 39-year-old female.

"Even after making it this far, the program explains I have the decision to back out at anytime," said Sergeant Kelley. "But when there's an identity to the person you're donating to, you know you're saving a life. I would recommend becoming a donor; you're saving someone's life and you don't get to do that everyday."