Jake Kinsley '11 Gives the Chance of Life to a Stranger in Need

On Monday, Jake Kinsley '11, who plays catcher on the Furman University baseball team, will undergo a procedure to donate bone marrow in an attempt to save the life of a complete stranger.

Kinsley, who is in his senior year at Furman, will miss a portion of his final season to undergo the procedure.

(Pictured: Jake Kinsley '11 in his Regis uniform during the 2011 season.)

In an interview with The Greenville News, Kinsley said, "I didn't think twice about it when given the offer. Just knowing that it's that important to that person and you're able to help them even if you don't know them."

(Read the full article: Furman catcher Jake Kinsley gives gift of life to stranger | March 30, 2015)

As a freshman at Furman, Kinsley took part in a bone marrow testing initiative to help the relative of a coach on campus. Though he was not a match, his information remained in the international Bone Marrow Transplant registry compiled at BeTheMatch.org.

When notified three years later that he was now a match for a stranger, he decided to do what he could to help.

"I'm going to have to give up a little bit of what I love in baseball, but it's all worth it, to help someone else out and give them another chance at life," said Kinsley in his interview with The Greenville News.

"My mom and dad always say I'm not just playing sports to play sports. There is a greater purpose out there, and I'm starting to see that now."