That destination turned out to be a hospital in Washington, D.C., where she donated bone marrow for a patient she only knows is a child under 5.

“In 2014 I had a friend whose dad needed bone marrow,” Wilson said. “We all sent in our cheek swabs. It doesn’t hurt and it was free. I didn’t really have any expectations.”

That changed with a phone call.

“I got off work early,” she said. “I got a call from a random number I didn’t recognize. The person said ‘this may come as a surprise but you have the potential to donate.'”

This led to a blood draw in Fort Dodge to make sure everything was a complete match, then it was off to a D.C. hospital for the actual donation.

“They use the stem cells out of my bone marrow,” she said. “It was same day outpatient under general anesthesia. I checked in at 6:30 a.m. and I was out by 4 p.m. The patient received the bone marrow the next day.”

Wilson won’t be able to find out who received the donation or how their case turned out until after at least a year has transpired.

The trip also gave her a chance to do a little sightseeing with her husband, Brandon Wilson, who came along.

“We went to the Holocaust Museum along with the Washington and Lincoln memorials,” she said.

She said the side effects were minor: some pressure from a bandage and she felt tired for a few weeks while her body regenerated the donated bone marrow.

She would be happy to do it again if she’s a match for another patient.

“Absolutely I would do it with no hesitation,” she said. “If it was my kid I’d want a donor to be as willing as I was. The little bit of inconvenience was nothing compared to what the recipient went through. Send in a swab, it’s a very rewarding experience.”

Be The Match also paid for her transportation, lodging and other expenses during the trip to donate.

Leah Glasgo, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge, is very proud of Wilson

“Amanda’s Be The Match donation experience hits very close to home for me,” Glasgo said, “In October 2020, my dad was hospitalized with a fever and doctors discovered a very unusual lab profile. My dad needed a bone marrow transplant, but a match was not found, so he will have weekly chemotherapy indefinitely. Amanda gave the recipient and their family a life-saving gift; Amanda literally saved a life! We couldn’t be more proud and honored to have her on our team.”

UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge has also partnered with Iowa Central Community College for a Be The Match drive and hosted one at Trinity Regional Medical Center in April 2022. Nearly 100 individuals joined the registry during the events.

For more information on how to donate and to obtain an at home test kit, see BeTheMatch.org or call 1-800 MARROW-2.