Answering the Call
by George Diaz
Would you save a random stranger’s life if you had the opportunity?
Karson Siqueiros-Lasky never wavered with his answer. It was an easy choice, one that reflected his leadership experience as a quarterback in high school and now in college. He put his thoughts into words in a personal journal titled, “When My Number Was Called.”
“When your number is called, you’re expected to be ready,” wrote Karson, 20. “Ready to lead. Ready to perform. Ready to do your job.
But this was a different calling than the ones on the football field, where Karson was a star player and team captain at Seminole High School. This calling meant that Karson – the son of Paula Siqueiros and Ricki Lasky of Lake Mary – would donate his blood stem cells to help save someone’s life.
Now enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, Karson joined the NMDP registry (formerly the National Marrow Donor Program) two years ago as a freshman. He has even donned a superhero cape to encourage other students across campus to sign up as potential donors, offering free coffee and information to anyone who wanted to learn more.
The nonprofit NMDP manages the world’s most diverse registry of blood stem cell and bone marrow donors, connecting patients who are fighting leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood disorders with lifesaving transplant matches. Since its inception in 1987, the organization has impacted more than 150,000 lives.
The initial screening process is simple: All it takes is a cheek swab. Karson did that as a freshman and again this past spring as a sophomore, not knowing if he would ever hear back.
“A few weeks after that I got an email saying I might be a match,” he says. “I had to do some additional testing, and they confirmed that I was a match. I was super excited to be able to help.”
“In Dire Need”
Fast-forward to the first week of July. Karson completed the donation process through a blood draw procedure. The prep work involved receiving a series of injections over five days to spike his stem cell production.
The biggest challenge was sitting in a chair for four-and-a-half hours during the donation process. He spent most of that time watching episodes of the TV show Suits, a legal drama. The only off-screen drama was when a hospital staff member walked into the room and asked, “Hey, can you speed it up?”
“When that happens, it usually means they’re in dire need of this,” says Paula. “So that was a little emotional.”
There was some initial concern that the donation process would impact Karson’s performance on the field, as Penn began to prepare for the upcoming football season with five practices a week, leading to the opener in September. But all he needed to do was to avoid heavy lifting for a few days to avoid stressing the injection points.
The Ripple Effect
Because of privacy issues, Karson does not know the name of the person who received his stem cell donation. He does know it was a woman.
“I am super happy that I was able to hopefully save someone’s life,” he says.
Karson may have done more than that. Other lives may be saved because of his advocacy work for NMDP. His parents are extremely proud of the way their son stepped up to help someone he may never meet.
“He’s a pretty special kid,” says Ricki. “He’s like an old soul, always wanting to take care of others. He’s played with some teammates who were disadvantaged, and he’s helped them with tutoring, giving them cleats, extra footballs. Or whatever it may be.”
Karson’s athletic resume isn’t too shabby, either. As a sophomore at Seminole in 2021, he threw for 459 yards and five touchdowns for the 11-2 Noles. He transferred to Lake Highland Preparatory School for his junior year, leading the Highlanders to the 2022 Sunshine State Athletic Conference 6A State Championship. Karson then transferred back to Seminole for his senior year in 2023.
At Penn – an Ivy League institution – Karson is studying business at The Wharton School.
“Karson is loving Penn, the experiences that he has had, and the education he’s getting,” says Paula. “And the ability to continue his football career has just been a blessing.”
Just Say Yes
Perhaps other blessings are ahead. Not all superheroes wear capes, but the one Karson donned for the NMDP seems to fit perfectly. He can eloquently explain why with his journal writings:
I don’t know her name.
I don’t know where she lives.
I don’t know whether she has a husband, children, parents, siblings, or friends hoping for a match.
What I do know is that she’s fighting for her life.
And I know that I have an opportunity to help.
When I looked at it that way, the answer became clear.
Was one week of my life worth the possibility of giving someone else more time?
For me, there was only one answer:
Yes.