Temple University Athletics
Football On A Mission To Find A Cure
4.10.15 | Football, Outreach
PHILADELPHIA – When Michel'Le Daughtry, affectionately known as Misha, was diagnosed with leukemia in the summer of 2008, the only thing on her mind was football.
"When she got sick, she called me up and said 'I'm not going to be there in the fall that much because I just found out I have leukemia and I have to get treatment, but I told them they have to hurry up because I need to be back for football camp in two weeks, so they need to hurry up,'" said Megan Kita, Daughtry's roommate and friend in college.
The Temple football team had always been a large supporter of the bone marrow drives, even before one their own was affected.
"I remember doing a drive as a player and I thought it was a pretty cool thing to do," said Adam DiMichele, who was the team's quarterback when Daughtry was in college.
By holding the bone marrow drive, which Kita has dubbed "Mission for Misha," DiMichele feels the team is honoring someone who made a lasting impact on the football program.
"When I heard about Misha passing, it was really devastating to a lot of people in the Temple family, so to have this in her honor is the least we could do for all she did for us," said DiMichele.
According to DiMichele, Daughtry "didn't have a bad bone in her body and had a smile that radiated through everyone." Kita remembers that Daughtry "was a fighter" and had an absolute positive outlook through her diagnosis.
"From the time she was diagnosed, she had an 'I'm going to beat this and do whatever I have to do so I can get back to football' attitude," said Kita. "The football team was what really motivated her to continue."
DiMichele, with help from Kita to set up this year's bone marrow drive, thinks it's important for people to sign up for the registry just to be able to help someone in need.
"I look at it as how often do you have the chance to save a life? You look at kids like Chris Fuga, who came to speak with the team, and [former athletic training graduate assistant] Marc Schaffer, who had the opportunity to donate to someone and did it," said DiMichele.
Fuga, who spoke to the team on Friday, is a leukemia survivor who had a bone marrow transplant from a donor who registered through Be The Match. Today, he is in remission and looking forward to returning to college in the fall.
On Monday, the football team will once again hold a bone marrow drive, which DiMichele hopes will produce someone's cure.
"Hopefully we get a lot of people to come out and maybe we'll find some matches," said DiMichele.
Kita added that being able to save someone's life, just by being who you are is enough to help find a cure for someone's disease.
"It's important because, when you think about it, it's you being you, and signing up to do something can save someone's life," said Kita.
*************************************************************************************
On April 10, 2013, Marc Schaffer was hooked up to a machine that was taking his blood, separating his white blood cells, and transferring the rest back into his body. Schaffer was a match for someone with blood cancer and was donating to help save a life.
"When I got the call, my first though was 'what's the next step?'" said Schaffer. "I got the call and asked what I had to do. There was no hesitation. I knew I was on the registry but it was about five years before I got the call."
Schaffer, who is currently the athletic trainer with CPRS Physical Therapy in the Manheim Central School District, was once the graduate assistant for athletic training for Temple football, where he met Daughtry.
"She was Temple Made, she had so much pride in her school and football and her life," said Schaffer. "She's one of the reasons I went through with the procedure, because I know what she went through with having leukemia and trying to find a match."
For Schaffer, going through the donation process in his friend's memory was something that just felt natural to him.
"I think it is impactful having a friend or someone you know going through it that you know what they're going through and you want to be able to help someone that you can, because someone else has friends that are having the same thing happen to them," said Schaffer.
Schaffer was able to meet his recipient, who he had a lot in common with from the start.
"We actually share the same birthday, just two years apart," said Schaffer. "I was in sports medicine and he's in sports management. He actually invited me to his college graduation."
But for Schaffer, donating wasn't about being recognized for what he did or being thanked. He did it because it was what he needed to do.
"For me, I didn't do this for the recognition or for anything other than it's what I felt like I had to do," said Schaffer. "I had so many people thanking me and I don't think I realized the impact. It didn't really impact me as it did everyone else around me."
Overall, Schaffer would donate again if called as a match and wants people to know that being put into the system is just the first step in being the cure for someone's disease.
"It's a simple procedure, it's just a cheek swab. My thing is people are on the registry and don't want to go through with it, but you're on the registry for a reason," said Schaffer. "That's a bigger thing than anything, knowing that once you're on the registry, you're someone's hope."
For those interested in becoming a possible match, please visit the Howard Gittis Student Center Room 200 on Monday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to have your swab kit completed. You may join the Temple team page here.
Video
"When she got sick, she called me up and said 'I'm not going to be there in the fall that much because I just found out I have leukemia and I have to get treatment, but I told them they have to hurry up because I need to be back for football camp in two weeks, so they need to hurry up,'" said Megan Kita, Daughtry's roommate and friend in college.
The Temple football team had always been a large supporter of the bone marrow drives, even before one their own was affected.
"I remember doing a drive as a player and I thought it was a pretty cool thing to do," said Adam DiMichele, who was the team's quarterback when Daughtry was in college.
By holding the bone marrow drive, which Kita has dubbed "Mission for Misha," DiMichele feels the team is honoring someone who made a lasting impact on the football program.
"When I heard about Misha passing, it was really devastating to a lot of people in the Temple family, so to have this in her honor is the least we could do for all she did for us," said DiMichele.
According to DiMichele, Daughtry "didn't have a bad bone in her body and had a smile that radiated through everyone." Kita remembers that Daughtry "was a fighter" and had an absolute positive outlook through her diagnosis.
"From the time she was diagnosed, she had an 'I'm going to beat this and do whatever I have to do so I can get back to football' attitude," said Kita. "The football team was what really motivated her to continue."
DiMichele, with help from Kita to set up this year's bone marrow drive, thinks it's important for people to sign up for the registry just to be able to help someone in need.
"I look at it as how often do you have the chance to save a life? You look at kids like Chris Fuga, who came to speak with the team, and [former athletic training graduate assistant] Marc Schaffer, who had the opportunity to donate to someone and did it," said DiMichele.
Fuga, who spoke to the team on Friday, is a leukemia survivor who had a bone marrow transplant from a donor who registered through Be The Match. Today, he is in remission and looking forward to returning to college in the fall.
On Monday, the football team will once again hold a bone marrow drive, which DiMichele hopes will produce someone's cure.
"Hopefully we get a lot of people to come out and maybe we'll find some matches," said DiMichele.
Kita added that being able to save someone's life, just by being who you are is enough to help find a cure for someone's disease.
"It's important because, when you think about it, it's you being you, and signing up to do something can save someone's life," said Kita.
*************************************************************************************
On April 10, 2013, Marc Schaffer was hooked up to a machine that was taking his blood, separating his white blood cells, and transferring the rest back into his body. Schaffer was a match for someone with blood cancer and was donating to help save a life.
"When I got the call, my first though was 'what's the next step?'" said Schaffer. "I got the call and asked what I had to do. There was no hesitation. I knew I was on the registry but it was about five years before I got the call."
Schaffer, who is currently the athletic trainer with CPRS Physical Therapy in the Manheim Central School District, was once the graduate assistant for athletic training for Temple football, where he met Daughtry.
"She was Temple Made, she had so much pride in her school and football and her life," said Schaffer. "She's one of the reasons I went through with the procedure, because I know what she went through with having leukemia and trying to find a match."
For Schaffer, going through the donation process in his friend's memory was something that just felt natural to him.
"I think it is impactful having a friend or someone you know going through it that you know what they're going through and you want to be able to help someone that you can, because someone else has friends that are having the same thing happen to them," said Schaffer.
Schaffer was able to meet his recipient, who he had a lot in common with from the start.
"We actually share the same birthday, just two years apart," said Schaffer. "I was in sports medicine and he's in sports management. He actually invited me to his college graduation."
But for Schaffer, donating wasn't about being recognized for what he did or being thanked. He did it because it was what he needed to do.
"For me, I didn't do this for the recognition or for anything other than it's what I felt like I had to do," said Schaffer. "I had so many people thanking me and I don't think I realized the impact. It didn't really impact me as it did everyone else around me."
Overall, Schaffer would donate again if called as a match and wants people to know that being put into the system is just the first step in being the cure for someone's disease.
"It's a simple procedure, it's just a cheek swab. My thing is people are on the registry and don't want to go through with it, but you're on the registry for a reason," said Schaffer. "That's a bigger thing than anything, knowing that once you're on the registry, you're someone's hope."
For those interested in becoming a possible match, please visit the Howard Gittis Student Center Room 200 on Monday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to have your swab kit completed. You may join the Temple team page here.
Video
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