Elon nursing student Jake Marion '26 and nursing faculty member Jeanmarie Koonts were recently interviewed by the Winston-Salem, North Carolina television station about Marion's bone marrow donation made possible through a collaboration between the Elon football team and Club Nursing.
Nursing student and Phoenix football player Jake Marion ’26 was spotlighted by WXLV ABC45 for his recent bone-marrow stem cell donation to a cancer patient, made possible through a campus collaboration between Elon’s football program and the National Marrow Donor Program.
Marion was matched earlier this year as an exact genetic donor after previously joining the donor registry. He described his decision to donate as deeply personal, noting that the experience of caring for his sick grandmother helped inspire his nursing path. After completing the three-hour stem cell collection process, Marion emphasized the significance of giving someone a real chance to fight cancer — even if the donation procedure is taxing on the body.
“Those stem cells are basically binding to the bone marrow, and it’s giving him a shot to recover, because this is the first time in his life where his body has been strong enough to fight the cancer,” he said. “From there, what they can do is actually attack with chemotherapy. It might be a tiny bit taxing to your body, but it’s well worth it for the person that’s struggling with their life.”
Assistant Professor of Nursing and Club Nursing faculty advisor Jeanmarie Koonts offered thoughtful commentary in the article on the role of compassion in healthcare education. She highlighted that while clinical skills and techniques are essential, the ability to empathize and truly care for others is equally vital to the nursing profession.
“For many years running, nursing has been voted the most trusted profession,” Koonts said, adding that empathy cannot always be taught but is a defining trait of exceptional caregivers.