The UAB Blood and Marrow Transplantation Therapy Program performed a bone marrow harvest that has produced a beautiful and an unexpected friendship. Hayden Hatfield Ryals signed up to be a marrow donor and ended up not only being a perfect match, but also saving the life of Skye Savren-McCormick, who was suffering from junvenile myelomonocytic leukemia at the time.
Two years later, the pair is still close, and Skye was the flower girl in Hayden’s wedding. “When I thought about the fact that this simple donation was saving someone’s life, I never thought twice,” Ryals said. “After completing the process of harvesting and donation, I can say confidently that there is a lot more pain and strife that I would be willing to go through if I knew it could give another person a second chance for a healthy life.”