To help save a life Dakota Gas employee donates stem cells

Ever since his mother-in-law was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Hunter Fears has seen some of the challenges of dealing with a life-threatening illness. Her diagnosis was one of the trigger points that made him want to donate hematopoietic stem cells, a type of cell found within bone marrow. Since he was unable to donate to his mother-in-law due to timing, his donation on July 28, 2025, went to a young man in South Dakota.

For Fears, who lives in Hazen, North Dakota, and works as a shift maintenance technician at Dakota Gasification Company, a subsidiary of Basin Electric, this was his first time donating anything other than blood.

“I chose to donate because I believe if you have the chance to save someone’s life, you take it,” he says. But what really made it personal for Fears was seeing his mother-in-law battle her disease. “I have seen firsthand how much strength it takes to face something like that. Her journey reminded me that behind every patient is a family, a story, and people hoping for more time together. Donating is a way I can be a part of giving someone else that hope. It’s a small sacrifice on my part to make a life-changing impact.”

Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside most bones and is essential to life; it is where red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are produced. Certain types of cancer and blood disorders—such as aplastic anemia, leukemia, and myeloproliferative neoplasms—can damage bone marrow and impair its ability to produce healthy blood cells. People diagnosed with these conditions often need healthy cells or even bone marrow itself donated by others.

There are different types of cells a person can donate. The hematopoietic stem cells that Fears donated are immature cells found in bone marrow and peripheral blood that can develop into all types of blood cells: red, white, and platelets.

For those who have considered donating cells, Fears says there is nothing to worry about and describes the process as being similar to donating plasma, only being a little more intricate and taking a few hours longer. Basically, blood is drawn from one arm, stem cells are separated out, and the rest of the blood is returned to the other arm.

“Once collected, my stem cells are infused into the patient’s blood stream through an IV,” he explains. “These cells then find their way to the patient’s bones, settle in the marrow, and start making healthy blood cells.”

For donors, the human body naturally replenishes both bone marrow cells and hematopoietic stem cells within a few weeks after donation. However, individuals are typically limited to donating no more than twice—once via bone marrow and once via peripheral blood stem cell or lymphocyte donation—to minimize strain on the body and preserve a healthy reserve of stem cells for potential future medical needs.

“The donation went great. My donation time was very quick because of the higher count of stem cells I had. I was also able to donate plasma,” Fears shared a few days after the donation. “I still believe it is an amazing thing to do for somebody in need. A small amount of pain and a little bit of my time could bring someone a lifetime of happiness.”

As with donating blood and plasma, Fears did not know who received his donation, only that it was “a younger male,” he says. “Other than that, I can’t learn anything about him until a year or so after he’s received
the donation.”

Fears encourages others to donate if their health and circumstances allow. He went through DKMS, an international nonprofit that helps save the lives of patients with blood cancers and blood disorders—but there are other ways to register and give.

“All you have to do is register at dkms.org,” he says about donating with this organization. “They will send you a free mouth swab kit that you send back to them and you will have the chance to save a life!”