'I'm given another chance at life': Leukemia survivor shrieks with joy at meeting transplant donor
A Texas woman couldn't contain her delight when meeting the man who saved her life after a devastating cancer diagnosis.
"The gratitude is incredible," said Ticia Hanisch, 76. "When we met in person, that feeling was magnified.”
When Hanisch was diagnosed in 2018 with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer, her doctors said the only hope was a stem cell transplant. So she joined DKMS, a global registry for stem cell and bone marrow donors, and waited.
The following year, Dominik Brandenburg, a donor, was found to be a match in Europe.
"We registered, and six months later, we got a call," said Brandenburg.
Despite having a baby on the way with his girlfriend, Brandenburg traveled to Cologne, Germany, to complete the donor process as soon as he could.
"I like to say, his second daughter, Lily, was born in July and I was re-born in August (after the transplant)," said Hanisch.
After corresponding anonymously for two years as per donor-patient rules, Brandenburg was able to visit Corpus Christi, Texas to meet Hanisch in person.
"My heart was pumping," said Brandenburg. "I was so excited to meet her."
Watch the moment a cancer survivor meets the stem cell donor who saved her life
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cancer survivor meets stranger who saved her life with transplant
