From Quarterbacks to Cancer: Kohler Sacks the Opposition
Brandon Harrison
ALFRED, NY – On what would be just another day in January in Alfred, NY, sophomore
Russell Kohler (Seaford, NY/St. Anthony's) laid in a hospital bed in New York City. But, it was not just another day; it was a life-changing day for both Kohler and his unrelated bone marrow match.
Lucky. Lucky was the feeling Kohler experienced as he laid in bed at the New York Blood Center.
He shrugged, "It happened so quickly, and I know a lot of guys that didn't get phone calls and others that weren't matches. I was just lucky enough to be a match."
Kohler entered the "Be the Match" registry on April 26, 2017 at an on-campus event hosted by the Alfred University football team. Looking back on that day, he mentioned the following:
"[Be A Match] came to campus and told us what they were about and I'm really happy they did. We [the football team] were off-season lifting and talking about [donating] being a good thing to do and what we'd do if we had gotten chosen. But based on what they said, the odds are you won't get chosen."
During the event, 192 individuals stepped forward to participate, with approximately 100 football players taking part. Russell is the first to be a 100 percent match from that day.
"When we originally decided to work with 'Be the Match,' our goal was to be able to put our young men in a position to truly make a difference by saving someone's life," Head Football Coach
Bob Rankl stated. "When Russell told me that he had been contacted and he was preparing to be a donor, I couldn't have been prouder of him. He was very eager to do it and not concerned about the sacrifices he had to make. This is what it's all about."
Kohler added about the process, "I know a lot of people that think they need to drill into your bone and take out the marrow, but that's not the case. They give you medication that stimulates the marrow in your blood and the platelets, which they can then make into stem cells and bone marrow for the patient. I know to some people may sound intimidating, but I put some Netflix on and hung out. The initial injections hurt a little bit because they're not small, but you do it. It really was not that big of a deal in my opinion. It was just doing the right thing."
"Be a Match" is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and began in 1987 and has grown to become a leader in unrelated bone marrow transplant donations. To date, Be the Match has facilitated 80,000 marrow and cord blood transplants, treating diseases such as leukemia, anemia, immunodeficiency, sickle cell and various metabolic disorders.
When Kohler was asked about his hopes after being part of this process he said, "I would hope that more people could start finding these organizations, so they can learn more about the process and get involved. You may not be a match, but if you are you could change a person's life or their whole family's life."
Kohler's match was a 50-year-old male diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Both parties will remain anonymous for one year. At that time, the patient will receive Russell's information and given the opportunity to reach out. Until that time, Kohler maintains the same thought, "Wow, it could have been anyone, but it was me."
The Alfred University football team plans to host another "Be the Match" donor drive in April 2018, with a specific date to be determined.
For more information about Be the Match, visit
www.BeTheMatch.org.