Men’s Lacrosse’s Michael Moran ’26 to make a Gift of Life

Earlier this year, Michael Moran ’26 and many of his Men’s Lacrosse teammates took part in a Gift of Life Marrow Registry “Saxton’s Swab #2 Save Challenge” drive on campus. The initiative has added nearly 1,000 lacrosse players to the donor registry for individuals battling blood cancer or other blood disorders seeking a match.

After a simple cheek swab revealed that Moran was a match, he agreed to donate stem cells that will be used to treat a 25-year-old woman with Hodgkin lymphoma.   

“Finding out I was a match made me a little nervous, to be honest,” said Moran, a physics major and mathematics minor from Columbia, South Carolina, who plans to pursue a graduate degree in electrical engineering after graduation. “I wasn’t sure how intensive the process was going to be, but after speaking with the people at Gift of Life, they made it clear that there was nothing to worry about. At the end of the day, I was given the opportunity to help somebody, so I felt it was my responsibility to do so.”

Over the past few months, Moran has done blood tests, physicals and screenings to ensure that he is, in fact, a legitimate match, and to make sure his peripheral blood stem cells are safe to transfer into another person. He started taking injections of filgrastim five days prior to the donation in order to increase his density of white blood cells, which is important when donating stem cells. 

The actual donation process (known as apheresis)—where blood is drawn from one arm, put through a filter to collects peripheral blood stem cells, and then reintroduced back into the other arm—takes around 4-6 hours. Following the procedure, which Moran will undergo this week, he shouldn’t suffer from any side effects or serious issues other than fatigue.

“Mike is the role model student-athlete for Connecticut College athletics,” said Men’s Lacrosse head coach Jim Nagle. “He sets the standard for our team. His outstanding effort both in the classroom and on the field, combined with his compassionate desire to help others, is impressive to witness.”