Bone marrow donations are often hard to come by. And that's why the actions of Rachel Buck are so phenomenal.
Rachel signed up to be on the National Marrow Donor Registry back in college. Recently, she realized that she matched with a boy named Jacob Parry, who's been fighting leukemia his entire life.
It's heartbreaking when children get sick. So it makes sense as to why Rachel jumped at the chance to help. That small act has given Jacob another fighting chance, and Jacob's parents couldn't have been happier. When the two eventually got to meet up, mom Kaylie Parry was ecstatic.
"We've waited for this day for quite a while, we're just so excited that we're finally able to meet her," she said. "There's no words to thank her enough for what she did for us."
Donating bone marrow has never been easier. Be the Match has been an excellent way for people to connect with those in need. Interested participants start by filling out a survey. Not everyone is eligible, so it's important to get screened ahead of time.
Most of the time, donating bone marrow is like donating plasma. But there are a few occasions where a participant will need to be put under to have it done. Rachel reportedly worked with the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, which is connected to Be the Match in an interesting way. The foundation recruits college football teams to host "Get in the Game" events to recruit more willing donors.
Rachel admits she was a little scared to meet Jacob for the first time. Jacob is young and might not fully grasp the weight of Rachel's gift just yet.
"I was worried that he wasn’t going to like me," she admitted.
Luckily, the two hit it off — and you can see the meetup yourself in this video.
