Pilot had less than 5% chance to live when 18-year-old girl saved his life — years later, he surprises her in the air

As per a report in HRSA, every year, around 18,000 people in the United States alone are diagnosed with fatal health conditions that require immediate bone marrow transplants. However, despite more than 41 million potential donors worldwide, patients with genetically diverse backgrounds struggle to find a perfect match. David Whiteson, the United Airlines captain, was fortunate enough to find a compatible donor when, in 2016, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — a rare blood and bone marrow cancer. Not only that, but Whiteson was even lucky to reunite with his stem cell donor, Allie Reimold, on a flight, My Modern Met reported.

Whiteson only had a 5% chance of survival when Reimold, who was then an 18-year-old undergrad student, unknowingly became his guardian angel. Notably, she had registered herself at the National Marrow Donor Program, and it was only four years later that she was found to be a match, after which she donated her stem cells that eventually saved Whiteson. After recovering, when the pilot discovered the identity of his donor, Whiteson added Reimold to his airline travel benefits to express his heartfelt gratitude. Later, in December 2024, after operating a flight from Dallas to Houston, Whiteson heard that Reimold was also preparing to board an outbound flight. Wanting to meet her, the pilot rushed across the airport to surprise her on the flight before she took off.

Moved by the heartwarming exchange between Whiteson and Reimold, another co-passenger (@laurasellshouston on TikTok) decided to record the gratifying moment. "This is the lady who saved my life. She was more of a match for me than my own brother, and literally, my body makes her blood. She is a true hero!" Whiteson announced, as the entire flight cheered for Reimold. While the heartfelt scene unfolded on the screen, the overlay text read, "Pilot comes back to hug bone marrow donor that saved his life 8 years ago."

Meanwhile, @afgdon.corleone commented, "A man of honor who appreciates & thanks those who helped him live." @jadez1912 wrote, "That makes my eyes water. Thank you both for bringing out the best in human beings." Similarly, @ronnie said, "Wow! That's amazing, my God, captain, you made it worthwhile, great for both people to meet." @rinadionne0819 said, "Donors are truly special people! Saving so many lives! I work at Mayo as a heart transplant scheduler (nothing special), but I’ve watched so many lives saved because of people like her." @dontslapmygoodies pointed out, "His body now makes her blood! That is so neat! Humans and medical science blow my mind."

@user566743450 shared, "I hope this inspires more people to be bone marrow donors, especially any ethnic minorities or mixed races. Matches are so hard to find." @deliquescent333 revealed, "As a frequent blood and one-time bone marrow donor, I can attest that it's a very rewarding experience to share life-saving cells. It also motivates me to take the very best care of myself as well!" On the other hand, @that_psychiclairvoyant commented, "I had a bone marrow transplant and will forever be grateful. Love this! Happy holidays!" @briebarbera wrote, "The process for donating bone marrow is much less painful than you would think. Please consider joining the registry! The program covers all of your expenses, and you save a life."

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