EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State junior Mychaela Lovelace was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia at the age of five.
"This is something that runs in the same family as Leukemia and Lymphoma," she explained.
Lovelace was not only diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, which is a condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells.
"But I had the most severe form, meaning in order for me to live, I needed to have either a bone marrow transplant or HTG serum treatment," she said.
Lovelave and her family chose to go with a bone marrow transplant when other treatments nearly took her life, which resulted in her being put on the bone marrow registry list.
"This was only because nobody in my family were matched to me," she said.
She further explained that typically you don't find a lot matches in the African American community.
"I don't know why, I don't know. Is it because there's not a lot of awareness? Or is it because people are afraid," she said.
But her story took a positive turn on March 18, 2009. A year after being on the registry list, she found her perfect match.
"It was just a blessing from God," Lovelace said.
She is now 13 years in remission and still has some health issues but is more grateful than anything to be here.
"Me being one of the first African Americans receive a 10 out of 10 match, I knew I came here to Michigan State to do a job of purpose, which is to share my story, save other lives," she explained.
Which is why she along with MSU's Black Student Alliance are hosting a Be the Match event to inform students of blood disorders and give them the chance to save someone's life in the same way her donor saved her life.
"It is important for all individuals not just African Americans, we get educated on how important it is to say well, because we need more donors," Lovelace emphasized.
The Be the Match donor drive is Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brody Square on Michigan State's campus, and it is open for all students to register as donors.
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