It's been just over 6 years since Marc's leukemia relapsed, after 11 months in remission. At that time he was only given 6 months, unless a bone marrow donor could be found. As no one in his family was a match, the Canadian Blood Services turned to the World Bank. He was fortunate enough to find a near perfect match. It was a very difficult time, and in the end, the procedure was a success. Of course the donor was anonymous. But , after 2 years, if the recipient survives (not many do) , if the countries of the donor and recipient allow correspondence , and if the donor and recipient agree, information can be exchanged. We discovered that Marc's donor , Christa, was a woman from Germany, and to make a long story short, we just came back from Germany after spending time with her and her family (Christa, Jorge, Daniel 21,Laura 19, Luisa 9).

We travelled there to say thank you in person. We felt it was the least we could do. We had the most amazing time! It was awkward at first, which is understandable. And Yes, there were a few tears , as we talked about "why" she had her name in the bone marrow registry , "why" she agreed to donate her marrow to a complete stranger and what Marc went through. But those tears didn't last long. We felt like long lost family, and we got to know each other so well.

They welcomed us into their home, and we felt as if we were part of the family. We talked for hours...... Every night was spent on the patio talking late into the night! We talked about anything and everything. During the day saw the local sites , and spent time getting to know the area. It felt like I was visiting a relative I hadn't seen in a few years. We felt so welcome! The conversation was easy , and the laughter was contagious!

We met as strangers and we left as family!! And I truly mean that, we can't wait for them to visit us in Edmonton!

Without Christa, Marc wouldn't be here today...... What an amazing lady, giving a small piece of herself to a total stranger made all the difference in the world.