BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Every three minutes in the United States, someone is diagnosed with a type of blood cancer, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research.
Many of them hope to find a donor that will be a perfect match, no matter how long that may take.
That includes 63-year-old Tana Velez from Arizona, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2021.
"I have a Philadelphia marker where two chromosomes get together that aren't supposed to be and because of that, I must have a transplant," Velez said. "If I don't have a transplant, I don't survive."
In 2023, her wish came true when she was matched with a young man from Texas for a blood stem cell donation after countless other treatments.
The donation saved her life. And now, a year later, she got the chance to say thank you.
Velez and her donor, Graham Cepica, had an emotional meeting in Buckeye on Saturday.
"(I got to) tell him again how much I appreciate him giving life to a perfect stranger," Velez said.
Cepica got a call from DKMS, the world's largest blood stem cell donor center, that he and Velez were matched and for him, there was never another choice other than saying yes.
"The opportunity to save somebody's life was far greater than what it took to swab and potentially be a match," Cepica said. "When I got word, it was a no-brainer. It was always a yes."
That yes transformed Velez's life forever, as it gave her a chance to watch her granddaughter grow up.
"He not only gave life to me, but to my whole family," Velez said.
"The generational impact here, your granddaughter gets to spend time with you and have you in her memories," Cepica said. "That's a special thing."
To learn more about DKMS and to become a donor, click here.
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