Student club aims to help save lives

Amrith Mariappan started a chapter of the NMDP – National Marrow Donor Program — at UB this fall because he “just wanted to give something back.” 

A PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Mariappan also has a more personal tie to the club: He is the recipient of a life-saving bone marrow transplant, performed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in June 2022.

The UB NMDP club is part of a national organization that aims to expand the national marrow donor registry in hopes of providing better matches for those awaiting a transplant. NMDP also promotes clinical trials, research studies and stem cell therapy.

At UB, NMDP provides mouth swabs to interested donors, whose samples will be added to a national database. If their sample is a good match for a candidate, they will be contacted to donate blood so their stem cells can be given to a patient with a life-threatening illness or blood cancer, like leukemia or lymphoma.

“Studies have shown that young donors, like college students, have a higher success rate in blood stem cell transplants,” Mariappan says.

Another good reason for including college students in the donor base is to achieve the critical goal of diversifying options for recipients. 

“Because there are people here from a lot of different countries, UB students can offer the registry a lot of diversity,” he says.

The more diverse a donor base is, the better it can serve all those in need. Mariappan explains that recipients have a better chance of success if they are able to find an ethnic match — something Mariappan experienced difficulty with in his own medical journey. 

“Mine was not an ethnic match and it’s a miracle it worked out because this is not something that usually does,” he says. “Ethnicity matches are often the best matches, so it’s important to work on getting a diverse population in the registry.”

A need for more diverse donors is one of the reasons Mariappan started a chapter of NMDP at UB. And another, equally important reason, was to continue his brother’s legacy. His brother also needed a bone marrow transplant. And while Mariappan’s transplant was ultimately a success, his brother’s wasn’t, and he sadly passed away.  

“While we were being treated, we both talked about starting events for donating so we could give back. That’s why I started NMDP at UB,” he says. “It’s like I’m continuing his legacy.”  

In addition to honoring his brother, Mariappan enjoys meeting other students and potential new members of the club. 

“Meeting new people is one of the most exciting parts of starting a club,” Mariappan says. “I never thought I’d be speaking with people from the medical school, but now I work with them. You meet a lot of people you never thought you’d be able to meet.” 

Mariappan hopes to partner with other student clubs to expand awareness and encourage students to join the registry or donate to help the club reach its financial goal of $1,000 per academic year. Currently, UB ranks 12th among NMDP’s chapter donation campaigns, something Mariappan hopes the kindness of the UB community will change. 

While his personal drive to change the outcome of marrow transplants for other patients is what fuels NMDP at UB, his ambition is not enough to keep the club going; for that, he needs new members. 

Mariappan notes the chapter faced challenges attracting new members during the fall semester. “However, I remain hopeful for the future of the club,” he adds. 

To encourage new members, Mariappan holding club meetings on Zoom to accommodate students on all three UB campuses. 

He’s also planning to make short presentations at the end of class lectures this semester, set up tables in the Student Union and attend more events to get more students involved in the NMDP’s mission.

How to join: Interested students can attend club meetings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Wednesday via Zoom, or view UB NMDP’s Instagram page, where club events will be advertised. Those who cannot attend meetings are also welcome to donate to the club’s mission here.