Bone marrow donor, recipient meet

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ellen Harr
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
Tech. Sgt. Daniel MacDonald and Gregg Smith have shared the same bone marrow for a year and a half, but they did not meet face to face until recently.

MacDonald, an instructor with the 366th Training Squadron's Detachment 7 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., donated his bone marrow to Smith on Oct. 16, 2001. They met at a recent reunion held at the City of Hope cancer center in Duarte, Calif.

"I became involved in the bone marrow program in 1998 at Barksdale Air Force Base," said MacDonald. "The daughter of a (noncommissioned officer) on base needed a bone marrow transplant, so I registered to become a potential donor, and I gave permission to be added to the national registry."

MacDonald said that the memory of his mother inspired him to become a bone marrow donor.

"My mother died from cancer when she was 48 years old," he said. "I just thought: 'What if I can save someone else's life?'"

MacDonald's donation allowed him to help Smith, who was suffering from both acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia.

"For many months, I was so sick, I would fall asleep at night just hoping I would wake up in the morning," said Smith. "Thanks to my bone marrow donor, I have a second chance at life."

More than 4,000 patients, donors, family and friends attended the reunion. MacDonald first met Smith during a "Rose Garden" ceremony on the first day of the reunion weekend.

"It was a bit overwhelming at first," said MacDonald. "I gave up something I didn't even realize I had. I mean it was nothing to me. It's very moving. It really hit home for me when I met his 14-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son."

MacDonald also credits his co-workers with helping him throughout the donation process.

"My co-workers have been very positive and supportive," he said. "Our unit was on stand-by to deploy. My commander and I agreed that departing on time was less critical than being available to help save someone's life. I could donate, then catch up with my unit."

Many people believe that the testing and donation process is painful. However, MacDonald said his experience was relatively painless.

"The initial test at Barksdale was like any other blood test," he said. "I didn't really experience much pain, only fatigue."

For more information about the Department of Defense bone marrow donation program, call (800) 627-7693 or visit www.dodmarrow.com. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)