City of Hope marks 50 years of bone marrow transplants with donor reunions

Hundreds of bone marrow transplant patients and their donors gathered at City of Hope in Duarte last week for an annual reunion marking the program's 50th anniversary, with some meeting the strangers who saved their lives for the very first time.

The event brought into focus the human bonds formed through bone marrow donation as City of Hope's transplant program — founded in 1976 — celebrated five decades of leading the field in transplant volume, outcomes and research.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported on the reunion of Vaughn Wilson, 18, of Los Feliz, who met his donor Johanna Seeger, 24, of Düsseldorf, Germany, three years after she saved his life. Wilson was diagnosed with leukemia at age 15, and Seeger's marrow traveled more than 5,000 miles to reach him.

"I didn't know what I was going to feel or expect ... it's a lot," Wilson said. He has since graduated high school.

Seeger, whose marrow was extracted from her hip bone, said she never hesitated. "It wasn't that big of a thing, it was a week with a little bit of pain, but a no-brainer to do it. It definitely was worth it," she said. She added of the new bond: "I hope we stay in contact, so we follow each other's life. Yeah, it's like family now."

Lynn Leiro of Alhambra also attended the reunion. "Lots of tears over the last few years just waiting for today," she told ABC7 Los Angeles before meeting her donor, Patrick Abboud of North Carolina. Dr. Vaibhav Agrawal, hematologist oncologist at City of Hope, said Leiro faced a race against time. "She had very aggressive mutations. So for her, time was of the essence to move up the transplant," Agrawal said.

Abboud said the reunion carried profound meaning. "The idea that I played a small part in Lynn getting to live the life she deserves to her fulfillment with her family is the best thing I'll ever be a part of, genuinely," he said. Leiro, who was able to see her daughter graduate following the transplant, had a message for others still in treatment.

"Keep fighting. Keep fighting the good fight," Leiro said, directing her words to those still facing treatment.