Local 12: UC pharmacy resident gives ultimate gift through Be the Match

Matthew Weaver signed up with Be the Match eight years ago, and a few weeks ago he was informed that he was a perfect match for a person with blood cancer in need of his stem cells to survive.

Weaver, a University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy alumnus and current pharmacy resident at UC Health, didn't have to go far for the procedure, as the academic health center is one of a few sites across the country that take stem cell donations.

"I think its the greatest gift that I could give this Christmas and hopefully it's a gift to their family to be able to see their loved one a little bit longer," Weaver told Local 12.

Caroline Alquist, MD, associate professor and director of transplantation immunology & therapeutic apheresis at the Hoxworth Blood Center, said the odds of being a stem cell match are slim, but it can make a huge difference.

"Stem cells are like little heat-seeking missiles. They will go to the bone marrow and they will start producing all the healthy cells that that patient needs," said Alquist.

Read or watch the Local 12 story.

Learn more about becoming a potential match.

Featured photo at top of Matthew Weaver courtesy of Local 12.