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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

University student’s stem cell donation becomes lifeline for cancer survivor

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Tuesday, December 10, 2024   

At Florida Gulf Coast University, a simple cheek swab led one student to make a life-changing difference.

Zoe Horowitz, a senior at the school, joined a bone marrow registry, not knowing she would soon save a stranger's life.

In February 2023, she donated peripheral blood stem cells to Kevin Mitchell, 63, a Southwest Airlines pilot battling a rare blood cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome. After an unsuccessful match with his brother, Mitchell learned of Horowitz, a perfect 8 of 8 match through the nonprofit Gift of Life Marrow Registry.

Mitchell recalled the moment Horowitz's stem cells entered his body.

"The miracle is that you now have that person's blood," Mitchell explained. "If I prick my finger, you test the blood; it's Zoey's blood. It is not my blood. It is not the blood I was born with, it's not the blood I had. It's all 100% her blood. Thank God for her perfect match."

The journey came full circle at a recent women's basketball game, where the two met for the first time. Since 2018, the university's partnership with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry has added more than 600 potential donors to the national database, resulting in 21 matches and three lifesaving transplants through the efforts of staff, faculty and students.

Horowitz's life-changing experience began with a service-learning course, which guided her toward meaningful volunteerism, ultimately leading her to donate stem cells and meet the recipient she helped.

"Finally getting to meet him for me kind of brought everything full circle," Horowitz recounted. "In my head, everything was kind of scattered in bits. I knew I did it, but I didn't realize the impact it had. My whole world came together when I got to hug him. It was so good. I love it."

Horowitz hopes their story inspires others to join bone marrow registries and credits the university's first-year transition course for introducing her to opportunities to get involved on campus and in her community.

Disclosure: Florida Gulf Coast University contributes to our fund for reporting. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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