High School Principal Passed Away Donating Bone Marrow To Stranger

Apr 15, 2019 by apost team

Watching only a few minutes of the nightly news is enough to illustrate that type of society in which people live today. It is not common to come across people who commit truly selfless acts.

However, there are some amazing stories with the ability to restore a person's faith in humanity.

One such story involves two people from different continents. This heartbreaking story has been making headlines throughout the world.

A principal from the state of New Jersey tragically died after he volunteered to donate his bone marrow to save a 14-year-old boy from France.

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According to Time, Dr. Derrick Nelson never actually knew this young boy from France, yet he didn't hesitate to offer his bone marrow in order to help the sick teenager. Sadly, Dr. Nelson did not recover properly from the procedure. His legacy and truly selfless act of love lives continue to impact people today.

“If it’s just a little bit of pain for a little bit of time that can give someone years of joy, it’s all worth it,” he said to the Westfield High School student newspaper shortly before the surgery.

Coworkers, family members, students, and countless people who have heard about this story are touched by the great character that Dr. Nelson exhibited. 

The story has inspired numerous people to be more giving, caring, and selfless.

According to the Bone Marrow Statistics of the Institute of Justice, 130,000 people are going to be diagnosed with a blood disease this year alone. An estimated 44,000 of these diagnoses will involve leukemia. Of that total number, about 3,500  sufferers will be children.

Leukemia is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in children. Less than one-third of patients requiring a bone marrow transplant are able to find a matching donor within their families.

This means that 70% of these children are reliant upon the generosity of strangers. At any given time, around 7,500 Americans are searching for a matching donor. The national registry is the official 'waiting list' on which names are placed when a voluntary donor cannot be found.

A majority of patients on the list will never find a donor. 

What do you think about Dr. Nelson's heroic act? Let us know in the comments and show this story to a friend or family member who would be inspired by Dr. Nelson's selfless act.