Pilot raced through airport to surprise woman who saved his life

When Allie Reimold boarded Flight 2223 in Houston a week ago, she never expected to see him. It had been four years since they had last met in person, and eight years since she had made a life-saving donation that would forever link her to the commercial airline pilot, Captain David Whitson.

David had been facing a devastating diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, a rare and fast-growing blood and bone marrow cancer. His health had rapidly deteriorated, and he was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant to survive. Despite his brother not being a close enough match, the doctors turned to the national donor registries in search of a suitable donor.

That’s when Allie received the call. As a young undergraduate student, she had joined the National Marrow Donor Program during a fundraising event at Purdue University. When she learned that her blood matched someone in need, she didn’t hesitate to undergo the donation process.

After a lengthy procedure at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston, Allie’s peripheral blood stem cells were successfully transplanted into David on December 21, 2016. The treatment was a success, changing David’s blood type and ultimately saving his life.

Over the next 18 months, David made a remarkable recovery and was able to return to work as a pilot. Allie continued her studies in public health, focusing on preventive measures to combat chronic diseases like cancer. The two were eventually introduced to each other by the donor program in 2018 and finally met in person at an event hosted by Baylor Medical Center.

Since then, David and Allie have remained in touch, meeting each year on the anniversary of the transplant. In a gesture of gratitude, David shared his United Airlines travel benefits with Allie, allowing her to travel like his own family. Despite the distance between them, David occasionally surprises Allie at airports where they both happen to be.

Now, eight years after the life-saving transplant, Allie is 30 years old with a Ph.D. and a career as a cancer prevention public health researcher at the University of California, Davis. She emphasizes the importance of preventive healthcare and healthy lifestyle choices to combat chronic diseases.

For David, Allie will always be the stranger who saved his life. “It’s still overwhelming to me that a stranger would take the time to save my life,” he said. “She gave me hope when I needed it most.”

Their bond, forged through a selfless act of kindness, serves as a reminder of the power of generosity and the impact one person can have on another’s life. As Allie and David continue to support and uplift each other, their story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to all who hear it.