The 20-year-old from Newton, a junior criminology major, signed up for a bone marrow registry drive on campus last April.
All Matt Popek knows about the patient who will receive the bone marrow he's scheduled to donate today is that she's a 9-year-old with leukemia, and that her situation is urgent.
For The College of New Jersey running back, that was all the motivation he needed to undergo the one- to two-hour surgery that will give a little girl - a stranger to him - something priceless.
Hope.
The 20-year-old from Newton, a junior criminology major, signed up for a bone marrow registry drive on campus last April.
The event took place in conjunction with the national "Get in the Game, Safe a Life" drive, begun by Villanova football coach Andy Talley in 2010 to increase the base of bone marrow donors by reaching out to university and college students.
Talley's grassroots effort has spread to 50 campuses across the country since it was launched.
More than 12,000 patients are diagnosed annually with life-threatening diseases like leukemia or lymphoma. For them, the best chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant.
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But the likelihood of a patient finding a donor whose marrow matches ranges from 66 to 93 percent, according to Be the Match, which oversees what it describes as the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world.
Thus, the need for a deep pool of potential donors.
Wayne Dickens, head football coach at TCNY, brought the registry program here after organizing similar drives at Kentucky State University. He said April's event signed up 540 new prospects, thanks to the efforts of the entire team.
The donation process requires a very special kind of commitment on the part of an equally special kind of individual.
After having his cheek swabbed for a tissue sample during the initial screening, Popek underwent blood testing, attended an information session and underwent a physical exam.
Doctors say he can expect some discomfort and fatigue for the next few days or weeks. All medical costs for the donation are covered by the National Marrow Donor Program, which runs the Be the Match Registry, or by the patient's medical insurance.
For Popek, the benefit of saving a child's life far outweighs the risk of the brief stint on the operating table.
"This 9-year-old is going through so much," he told Christina Rojas of NJ.com. "People call me brave, but she's the brave person in this situation... I'm just blessed and happy with the opportunity that I can do something for her and hopefully she can enjoy a healthy life."
At this holiday season, we can only hope Popek's wisdom and generosity of spirit inspire others to walk in his shoes.