Spring 2010 - Assumption High School

Jennifer McGill `08 poses with Donna Dull and Marcy Dull after Jennifer’s and Marcy’s Ohio University field
hockey team defeated Miami University for the 2009 Mid-American Conference championship.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer McGill `08
Q. Was there any risk to you? How did you feel as the actual
donation approached?
A. There was no large risk of donation. The only risks that
were relevant to me were side effects from the drug and the
risk of having a central line in my neck during and after I had
it removed. I was very excited as the donation approached.
Everyone asked me if I was nervous or dreading it and those
feelings never ran through my mind. I knew that what I was
doing was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it was so
fulfilling that there wasn’t an ounce of nerves in my system.
Q. How would you describe the actual experience of
donating?
A. The actual experience was a very draining one, but it was
a lot easier than I expected. The shots were painful and made
me sore and pretty drowsy. Sitting in a chair for six hours
and having blood separated is very hard on the body. But the
day went by at a smooth pace thanks to good food and good
company throughout the day.
Q. What does your donation mean for the person to whom
you donated?
A. The donation means a lot for him. Without the donation,
the odds of living before the donation I’ve been told are
anywhere from 40 to 45%. My donation will give him a new
chance at life. If all goes well, he could go back to living a
semi-normal or all the way normal life, he will be able to
see his grandchildren grow up if he has them, and his overall
quality of life will be so much better.
Q. Did anything from your Assumption experience inspire you
as you went through this process?
A. My experience at Assumption did a lot to inspire me.
The day I decided to do this, I wanted to call everyone from
there that I knew and tell them what was happening because
I wanted them to know that they really taught me a lot about
true compassion. I had a feeling right when I walked through
the doors of Assumption, before I even knew teachers, that
they had compassion for me and they wanted me to leave with
the same attitude towards others. Assumption inspired me to
want to make a difference and impact lives in any way possible
whether it’s donating money and clothes to the homeless
or giving the gift of life like I have done. My whole life, I have
never really felt like I had ever impacted someone. Throughout
my four years at Assumption, and as I have gone through
my college career, I have constantly thought about how I’ve
wanted to help someone in an extraordinary way. Assumption
taught me the power of prayer, and how God blesses you in
amazing ways. I’m not sure God could have blessed me with
something much more extraordinary than this and I thank him
every day for it.
Inspired by Jennifer’s story?
Find out more about the registry
and how to join at
www.marrow.org.
Assumption Magazine Spring 2010
9