“He’s My Hero, My Brother, My Angel”: Southland Operations GM Recently Met the Man His Bone Marrow Saved

Over 20 years ago, STL Edmonton Operations GM Cory Sandstra had a high school classmate who encouraged everyone in his grade 11 class to join the Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry by getting swabbed and adding their blood type into the system.

At the time, it was a simple but selfless act that may have never actually found a match. It could have never amounted to anything, but 17 years later, it gave a man on the other side of Canada a second chance at life.?

David Boudreau of Bouctouche, New Brunswick had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and his only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant.?When no immediate family member could help, David waited five long weeks to find out if doctors could find a donor who was a match. Speaking with CBC Maritime Noon, David told host Bob Murphy that waiting for an update was terrifying.?

“They told me it was a 50% chance to find a donor, and that was really scary. This was my only option to live.”

Meanwhile, the swab that Cory took way back in high school suddenly became one of the best decisions he ever made - his bone marrow was a perfect match with David’s. Cory started a one-week regimen of medication to increase his blood’s ability to release stem cells, took a trip to Calgary, and made a life-saving donation.?

The bone marrow transplant was done in Halifax in March 2016 and was a resounding success, changing one man’s life forever. A year after his recovery, David reached out to Cory and the two men had talked over the phone, but the pandemic and Covid-19 precautions prevented them from meeting in person.?

That all changed a couple of weeks ago. David’s mother-in-law had reached out to Cory to ask him to make the trip to New Brunkswick for a family celebration and to surprise his “blood brother”. Cory happily obliged, bringing his family to the Maritimes for the momentous moment. David couldn’t believe it when he turned around and saw Cory.

“I thought I was dreaming when I turned around and he was right there. For me, it was really special because he’s a guy who saved my life. It was quite emotional. He’s my hero, my brother, my angel.”

Cory was elated to be able to surprise David in New Brunswick and was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from his family and friends gathered to celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary.?

“It was really incredible. It’s one of those things that’s a once in a lifetime type of experience. It’s a feeling that’s pretty hard to describe. I couldn’t have helped a better person.”

These days, the Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry is called the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network and is part of Canadian Blood Services. Also speaking to CBC Maritime Noon, Cory told listeners that registering is incredibly easy.

“It’s super convenient to get on to the registry and get your profile on there. Most people will never get a match, but it gives someone out there some amount of hope that could be a match out there. It literally takes two minutes to do a swab of your mouth, and they put your typing on the registry. Then, they have someone to cross-reference against when someone like David is looking for a match.”

David Boudreau’s recovery from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after receiving Cory Sandstra’s bone marrow is a prime example of how a complete stranger deciding to become a donor can make a world of difference.

“On the patient side, you’re fighting for your life. And, people who want to donate, like Cory did - it’s a simple thing, and it gave me the chance of a second life.”

If you’d like to register for the Canadian Blood Services stem cell registry, click here.

You never know how a simple swab could save a life.