Ole Miss Freshman Organizes Bone Marrow Drive to Help Ailing Sister

An unnamed Ole Miss freshman has launched a bone marrow donor recruitment effort in Oxford, working to bring students and community members onto the national registry to find a match for her sister. The drive, described as a statewide initiative starting in Oxford, has drawn attention beyond Lafayette County as similar efforts spread across Mississippi.

The push gained documented momentum at Mississippi State University, where 1,002 students lined up for cheek swabs on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at the Colvard Student Union. That drive was organized in partnership with the National Marrow Donor Program and DKMS and was mounted in support of 11-year-old Cate Hargett of Greenwood, Mississippi. Whether the Ole Miss freshman's campaign and the MSU effort for Cate are formally linked has not been confirmed.

Cate's medical situation explains the urgency behind drives like these. Diagnosed with a rare blood disorder at just two months old, she carries a mutation in the tumor protein 53 gene, nicknamed the "guardian of the genome" for its role in suppressing tumors. After a recent bone marrow biopsy revealed a developing malignancy, doctors determined she would need a transplant.

Finding a matched donor is rarely straightforward. About 70% of patients who need a bone marrow transplant do not have a family match and must rely on volunteers listed in national registries, making community drives critical to expanding the pool of potential donors.

The MSU effort drew notable participation. Caroline Chaney, the 2025 Miss Mississippi State Volunteer and a junior business administration major, came to the table at the campus drive. Brendan Glauthier, class of 2027, also joined the bone marrow donor program during his freshman year to help organize a community stem cell donor drive, according to an Instagram post, though details of his drive's location and beneficiary were not fully disclosed.

Anyone who missed the MSU drive can still register from home. People ages 18 to 35 can request a free cheek swab kit through the National Marrow Donor Program by texting "TeamCate" to 61474; both organizations mail prepaid return packages so registration can be completed without leaving the house. Those ages 18 to 55 can register with DKMS at dkms.org/swabforcate.

The Ole Miss freshman's name and her sister's medical details had not been publicly confirmed at the time of reporting, though The Local Voice has covered the Oxford-based effort as it works to expand across the state.