Original published date: 8/29/2024

Since childhood, Jeremiah has dreamed of being a superhero. He would often dress up in a Spider-Man costume at family events, embodying his favorite hero. Years later, he was given the chance to be a real-life hero by donating blood stem cells. But fear took over, leading to one of his biggest regrets: saying “no.” Ten years later, though, he got another chance to save a life.

Now he’s encouraging others to join the NMDP Registry^SM—and say “yes” when they get the call.

In 2014, Jeremiah’s aunt, television journalist Robin Roberts, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). At 19, Jeremiah was eager to help. When Robin and his mom, Sally-Ann, hosted a donor drive, Jeremiah quickly signed up to join the NMDP Registry. He recalls his mother saying, “Boy, you better sign up.”

At the time, his family was determined to find a donor for Robin. One more potential donor meant they were one step closer to a cure for her. Jeremiah wasn’t a match, but it turns out that his mother, Robin’s sister, was. As viewers of Good Morning America know, Robin’s transplant was successful.

Five months later, Jeremiah received a call from NMDP^SM that he was a match for a searching patient. He had just launched his acting career and was afraid that the procedure might affect him. “I was scared to (donate). I had hemophobia [fear of blood] and at the time, I didn’t know how hard, rare and big of a thing it is to find a donor,” said Jeremiah. The uncertainty weighed on him, even though he knew it could mean life or death for someone. “I had and still have a tendency to beat myself up about it because somewhere in my mind I knew how important it was,” he said.

Donation day was a very reflective experience for Jeremiah. He watched as the blood stem cells that could change someone’s life filled the bag. His aunt checked in on him, congratulating him on stepping up to save a life but to also joke with him about the days he would dress up in a Spider-Man costume and pretend to be a superhero. The costume was by his side while he donated. “Now that suit is a symbol of a second chance to me,” he said. “It is a symbol of going from pretending to save lives, from pretending to do something important to learning what is actually important.”

It’s never too late to join the movement to save lives. Discover how you can add your name to the registry.