A 3-year-old cancer survivor is a flower girl for a bone marrow donor: "It was not a dry eye in the room"



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Last month, Skye Savren-McCormick was the flower girl in a wedding. To prepare, she trained to walk with a small basket in her living room. Even so, on the wedding day, the three-year-old always took a large handful of petals and dropped them on the floor before taking his first step in the driveway. And the wedding guests could barely hold together.

Not so long ago, Skye's doctors gave him a 10% chance of living. Reaching a childhood cancer, she needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.

She received one, from a stranger – Hayden Hatfield Ryals, who then invited Skye to be the florist of her wedding

. And those who were at the ceremony that day say that they will never forget it.

"There was not a dry eye in the room," said wedding photographer Jeannie Broadway. "You could even hear people sobbing."

She Fought Cancer All Her Life

When she was a little under a year old, Skye was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. She had blood and platelet transfusions almost every day. She was in the hospital for 10 months due to complications during her treatment.

But she needed a bone marrow transplant – and quickly. Fortunately, a perfect match was found, said his mother, Talia Savren-McCormick.

Ryals, 26, signed to be a bone marrow donor at the university. She had just changed major, and she was not sure what she wanted to do. She felt lost. She had always thought that donating blood and platelets was important, so when she discovered that you could donate bone marrow, she knew that she wanted to register as a donor.

One year after her registration, she discovered that she. This, she said, gave her purpose again.

"It changed everything," Ryals said. "It has become my number one priority from that moment."

Bone marrow donation is anonymous, so Ryals and Skye did not meet. But from this surgery in 2016, the two were linked

The Savren-McCormick family then received more horrible news: Skye had developed a second form of cancer, this time lymphoproliferative post-transplantation. Less than 1% of bone marrow transplant recipients get it as a result of their transplant. Skye's chances of survival were bleak. But after chemotherapy and more bone marrow transplants, she got out of it.

"She's a fighter, she's full of cum, and she just has the best attitude, and I think everyone could learn something from this 3-year-old." Ryals said.

They met for the first time at the wedding

Shortly after the first Ryals Skye transplant, the donor sent the family an anonymous letter by Be the Match, the non-profit organization . The letter said that Ryals thought of the family and that being called to make a donation made sense to him. Savren-McCormick returned an anonymous letter

Finally, Ryals and the Savren-McCormick family reached out to Be the Match, saying that they would like to get in touch with each other. Although the Savren-McCormicks lived in California and Ryals lived in Alabama, they soon formed a link.

The relationship began with email, phone and text.

For Skye's birthday, Ryals sent him a gift with a "

" We were really surprised at how nice it was, says Savren-McCormick

. The toddler was under oxygen at the time, and they thought there was no way to do it. they would be able to go there. But once she stopped oxygenating, her doctors told her that everything would be fine.

Skye Savren-McCormick and Ryals met for the first time at the rehearsal of the wedding

"We were in front and were looking around. [Ryals] came in and immediately came to Skye and fell to his knees "said Savren-McCormick. "Skye gave her a big hug, and all night they were sitting together."

"It was so sweet," she added. "It was like they were in love."

They share a special bond

Both shared an instant connection. Although Skye is too young to know that Ryals has helped her save her life, she knows that Ryals is someone special, says her mother.

"I can not wait to see Skye grow up and continue this relationship with Hayden." Savren-McCormick said:

The Savren-McCormicks insist on the ease with which they can fit into the world. registry for donating bone marrow.

"Anyone could save someone," Savren-McCormick said. "You do not have to be a superhero."

Ryals said that she will feel a connection with Skye for the rest of her life.

"She is everything to me," she says. "And all this trip, I have never seen it like me helping, because I was honored to do it, and it was a privilege for me to do it."

"In my eyes, she is the one who saved me," she added.

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