Duke University Med School Student has a Full Circle Moment
Playing soccer at Duke University started her donor story. To ease the fears of others, Abby recorded her donation experience, walking potential donors through the full process.
Meet Abby Pyne, a current Duke University School of Medicine student who recently became a DKMS blood stem cell donor.
As simply stated, Abby is an inspiration to so many. If you take the time to get to know her and her story, Abby is a genuine change-maker and superhero.
Her donation story truly began when she was an undergraduate student at Duke University playing on their women’s soccer team. After a knee issue that resulted in nine surgeries, Abby chose to step away from the game she loved. When she realized she wouldn't leave her mark on the soccer field, Abby asked herself, “How can you leave your mark now?” That's where Emily comes in.
While a Duke’s soccer camp coach, Abby got incredibly close to a young girl named Emily, who eventually became an honorary captain of the women's team. Emily was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and later inspired Abby to register as a donor with DKMS in October 2016 while at a Duke football game.
Fast forward to this year - Abby received the call that she was a matching donor for a patient needing a blood stem cell transplant, having a full-circle moment. As a current med school student at Duke, Abby wanted to record a video diary of her donation. She hopes to ease the fears that others may have going into the donation process or for those unsure exactly what will happen if/when they receive the call that they're a potential donor. Check it out below: