FORT MYERS, Fla. - A Fort Myers man owes his life to a woman he had never met. Her generosity formed a bond spanning thousands of miles. They are sharing their story, hoping to inspire and save others.

31-year-old Jaciel Valdivias is enjoying every minute of everyday, working as a cook at Carrabba's restaurant in Fort Myers, and spending time with Maria Avila, the love of his life for the past 14 years. It's time he wasn't sure he'd have just two years ago.

"I've never been sick before like that," said Valdivias.

"I thought he was gonna die," said Avila.

Valdivias had leukemia and needed a peripheral stem cell transplant.
Doctors tested his three siblings, but none were a match.

"the doctors saud said we're going to put him on the list and he say if something comes up in three months, six months, we let you know," said Avila.

An unlikely match was found in Los Angeles. Her name is Victoria Namkung, a woman the same age as Valdivias, but half Irish/Jewish, half Korean, who'd registered with the National Bone Marrow Program while in college in 1995.

"I was in complete shock. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would ever match somebody," said Namkung. "Especially with my ethnic background."

Soon doctors were harvesting Victoria's stem cells. For eight hours during a two day period, she sat connected to an IV as her blood was taken from her arm, passed through a machine to remove the stem cells, and returned to her body.

"I say that it was less than a teeth cleaning for me. It was not painful at all," said Namkung. "If you realize how little pain is involved and it's a chance to save a life, it's well worth it."

Registry rules require donors and recipients to remain anonymous for a year. Then one day, Namkung got a phone call.

"It was amazing, I'll never forget it," said Namkung. "He got on the phone and he had this gentle sweet voice and he said 'thank you for saving my life,' and at that point I had tears streaming down my face."

"I told her she's my sister now," said Valdivias.

"She is an angel, she's a really great person," said Avila.

Valdivias and Avila thanked Victoria in person on Thanksgiving last year, when they met in person for the first time in Miami.

"I really feel like I am the one who received the gift because it is such a rewarding experience and i would do it again in a heartbeat," said Namkung.

Valdivias has been cancer free for two years. He talks to Namkung at least once a week, and they hope to see each other again sometime soon.

If you would like to register to donate marrow or stem cells, click here: www.marrow.org