'Second chance at life': Cancer survivor meets blood stem cell donor for first time
A cancer survivor from Massachusetts got to meet the young woman who helped save his life.
Clark, a 61-year-old man from Needham, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, an uncommon type of cancer that developed in his bone marrow.
He received treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, but was in need of a blood stem cell donor.
Through the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, Clark's match was identified as a 24-year-old woman from New York named Anna.
On Monday, Gift of Life hosted a sunset soiree on the rooftop of The Envoy Hotel, which is where Clark got to thank Anna in person for the very first time and the two shared a heartfelt hug.
"When I got swabbed six years ago, I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have the opportunity to give another person a second chance at life," Anna said to Clark. "I always dreamed of the moment of meeting you, and truly is a surreal feeling being able to see you happy and, most importantly, healthy."
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and adults battling leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other cancers and genetic disorders find matching donors for blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants.
Anna encouraged everyone who attended Monday's soiree to get a swab and join the donation registry — and potentially save a life.