Temple University Athletics
Get In the Game!
4.14.14 | Football
TUFB Teams with Be The Match
PHOTO GALLERY | VIDEO
When challenged to 'Get in the Game' Temple University grabbed the ball and took it in for a touchdown.
For the thousands of people diagnosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, a cure exists. Over the past 25 years Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program®, has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world.
In 2008, Villanova head football coach Andy Talley received a phone call from Be The Match® asking to partner with his decade long on-campus drive efforts. Through the years, Coach Talley enlisted 29 other college football programs to lead and host their own on-campus donor drives each spring. The football players span the campus, recruiting people to take the cheek swab test, thereby registering themselves as potential bone marrow donors on the Be The Match Registry.
Under head coach Al Golden, Temple was one of the first to enlist. Little did they know at the time how much it would mean to the football program. A year earlier, a healthy freshman equipment manager, Michel'Le Daughtry (Misha to her friends), began working with the team.
"Misha and I started as freshman together," said Marc Schaffer, now a graduate extern in athletic training. "She was part of the Temple Football Family and that's special to be a part of."
By the summer of 2008, Misha was diagnosed with leukemia. Throughout Misha's three year battle with leukemia, she continued to work and be an inspiration to the football team any and every chance she had. Misha received a bone marrow transplant that allowed her to live a longer life and to continue to be an inspiration to the staff and players of the Temple Football program. Temple held three drives throughout the time that Daughtry had cancer.
One person who got on the registry was her friend Marc Schaffer. "If you can honor a friend or do something in their memory, their spirit lives on. What better way to honor your friend than to help someone else…her spirit lives on in them."
In 2013, Schaffer got the call that he was a match. "It totally slipped my mind. I remember signing up. I was glad I got the call." In April 2013, Schaffer donated bone marrow to save the life of a currently (to Schaffer) unknown 21-year old with lymphoma. "I get updates on his health every six months and hope to someday meet him," said Schaffer.
While Schaffer's donation came in 2013, Temple failed to hold a drive that year. Adam DiMichele, the quarterback of the team during the time Misha was on staff and now the team's wide receivers coach, realized that the team had to get behind the cause again.
"When Megan [Kita, Misha's college roommate] came to me and asked if we can work with Be The Match® once again, I said "Whatever you need, you have our 100% support."
"Megan did all the work to get us to today," said DiMichele. "Communicating with Be The Match®, scheduling things with the University, getting the volunteers and the prizes – that was a huge undertaking. But I understand why she did it. Misha was a special person, she was Temple through and through."
"My role was a bit easier. People take notice of our football players on campus. Today we asked them, 'Would you like to save a life?' How often do you get to ask someone that question? If you can have a chance to save a life, what more can you ask for? Then, you just have to give them the details."
Once someone decides to become a donor, they fill out some paperwork and swap their cheek with a Q-tip. Then they wait….for some it could be months, for others years, until a match is found.
For today though, the Temple University campus was filled with people who 'Got in the Game' and took a chance to save someone's life. "We've had a steady flow all day," said Kita. "It's been a very diverse group of people which is good for Be The Match®.
"Today was really awesome…One of the volunteers worked for the hospital when Misha was there. She told a few stories about Misha. You can feel her presence. It gives me chills."
When challenged to 'Get in the Game' Temple University grabbed the ball and took it in for a touchdown.
For the thousands of people diagnosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, a cure exists. Over the past 25 years Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program®, has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world.
In 2008, Villanova head football coach Andy Talley received a phone call from Be The Match® asking to partner with his decade long on-campus drive efforts. Through the years, Coach Talley enlisted 29 other college football programs to lead and host their own on-campus donor drives each spring. The football players span the campus, recruiting people to take the cheek swab test, thereby registering themselves as potential bone marrow donors on the Be The Match Registry.
Under head coach Al Golden, Temple was one of the first to enlist. Little did they know at the time how much it would mean to the football program. A year earlier, a healthy freshman equipment manager, Michel'Le Daughtry (Misha to her friends), began working with the team.
"Misha and I started as freshman together," said Marc Schaffer, now a graduate extern in athletic training. "She was part of the Temple Football Family and that's special to be a part of."
By the summer of 2008, Misha was diagnosed with leukemia. Throughout Misha's three year battle with leukemia, she continued to work and be an inspiration to the football team any and every chance she had. Misha received a bone marrow transplant that allowed her to live a longer life and to continue to be an inspiration to the staff and players of the Temple Football program. Temple held three drives throughout the time that Daughtry had cancer.
One person who got on the registry was her friend Marc Schaffer. "If you can honor a friend or do something in their memory, their spirit lives on. What better way to honor your friend than to help someone else…her spirit lives on in them."
In 2013, Schaffer got the call that he was a match. "It totally slipped my mind. I remember signing up. I was glad I got the call." In April 2013, Schaffer donated bone marrow to save the life of a currently (to Schaffer) unknown 21-year old with lymphoma. "I get updates on his health every six months and hope to someday meet him," said Schaffer.
While Schaffer's donation came in 2013, Temple failed to hold a drive that year. Adam DiMichele, the quarterback of the team during the time Misha was on staff and now the team's wide receivers coach, realized that the team had to get behind the cause again.
"When Megan [Kita, Misha's college roommate] came to me and asked if we can work with Be The Match® once again, I said "Whatever you need, you have our 100% support."
"Megan did all the work to get us to today," said DiMichele. "Communicating with Be The Match®, scheduling things with the University, getting the volunteers and the prizes – that was a huge undertaking. But I understand why she did it. Misha was a special person, she was Temple through and through."
"My role was a bit easier. People take notice of our football players on campus. Today we asked them, 'Would you like to save a life?' How often do you get to ask someone that question? If you can have a chance to save a life, what more can you ask for? Then, you just have to give them the details."
Once someone decides to become a donor, they fill out some paperwork and swap their cheek with a Q-tip. Then they wait….for some it could be months, for others years, until a match is found.
For today though, the Temple University campus was filled with people who 'Got in the Game' and took a chance to save someone's life. "We've had a steady flow all day," said Kita. "It's been a very diverse group of people which is good for Be The Match®.
"Today was really awesome…One of the volunteers worked for the hospital when Misha was there. She told a few stories about Misha. You can feel her presence. It gives me chills."
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