Story link:
One of my journalism professors once told our class to look for stories in unique places, which is what my group did for our second Media Hub Feature story. My partner Maya saw a LinkedIn post from a UNC student, Samantha, who underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). We inquired about an interview and set up a meeting at the journalism school.
Samantha shared her story of why she joined NMDP at 18: to honor her grandad who passed from cancer. Though they never met, her mom’s stories helped forge a deep connection. Her mother had always told her to look for Grandpa in Orion’s Belt—a message that stayed with Samantha so strongly that she had Orion’s Belt tattooed on her arm when she turned 18. As if donating in his honor wasn’t already special, she later discovered the patient she was matched with was the same demographic as her grandad. If the patient desires, they could meet Samantha in a year.
Samantha shared she posted about her donation on LinkedIn as a statement of character. She walked us through the donation day at the Duke Blood Cancer Center and emphasized how supported and informed she felt by the medical team. I also interviewed her partner who had been by her side through the process.
As I researched for the script of my video package, I wanted to make sure I got the science right. I needed to understand the difference between a bone marrow transplant and a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. Luckily, my sister—who’s a certified Bone Marrow Transplant nurse—was the perfect source. It was a rare moment where our careers intersected. The only other time I remember that happening was during high school, when I interviewed her for a podcast about the COVID-19 vaccine she was helping administer.
My final interview was with Samantha’s mom. She shared how proud—and emotional—she was when Samantha joined the donor registry and later went through with the donation. She teared up recalling her father, and generously shared some old photos of him.
Without footage from donation day, I had to get creative with b-roll. I met Samantha again to shoot outside the journalism school. It was my first time producing a non-sports package in a while, so there was a learning curve, but everything came together. The package ended up being named a Top 20 Hearst feature.