Mercy College PA Student Donates Bone Marrow, Gives Gift of Life
What began as a casual moment at a college block party turned into a life-saving act of generosity for Adam Samuel, a Physician Assistant (PA) student at Mercy College of Ohio.
In 2023, while attending the University of Wisconsin as an undergraduate student, Adam participated in a campus block party event where he completed a simple cheek swab to join the national bone marrow registry. He thought little of it—until January 2024, when he was notified that he might be a match for a patient in need.
The timing was uncanny: “I had just finished studying stem cell transplants and leukemia in class,” Adam recalls. “As someone pursuing a career in healthcare, I understand the importance of these treatments. I was eager to help.”
After confirmatory testing, Adam was confirmed as a match for a 45-year-old man with leukemia. On July 21, 2025, Adam underwent a surgical procedure at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., to donate 1.5 liters of bone marrow, and the next day, the recipient received the life-saving transplant.
Despite the magnitude of the donation, Adam experienced only minor side effects. “The worst part was a mild rash from the surgical adhesive,” he says with a laugh. “I was back to my clinical rotation three days later and will be taking an iron supplement for about a month.”
Stem cell transplantation—commonly known as bone marrow transplant—is a potentially curative treatment that replaces a patient’s diseased or damaged bone marrow with healthy cells from a donor. For many patients with leukemia and other blood cancers, it’s their best chance for survival.
Adam encourages others to consider joining the bone marrow registry. “It’s an incredibly meaningful thing to do, and the process is far easier than most people think,” he says. “You could be someone’s only hope.”
If the transplant is successful and both donor and recipient consent, Adam may be able to connect with the patient a year from now.
After he graduates in August, Adam plans to return to Wisconsin and hopes to work in critical care in a hospital setting. His selflessness and dedication to others already demonstrate the compassion and commitment he’ll bring to the field.