November 13. A date, in my mind, that will forever denote hope, faith, love and life.

Five years ago, on November 13, 2012, an amazing young woman named Megan donated her stem cells to me. Her healthy cells replaced my diseased bone marrow after a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. She was a complete stranger to me at that time, who gave selflessly and unconditionally, simply because she knew she had the ability to save a life. Today, my five-year transplant anniversary marks an important milestone. The chance of relapse after five years is highly unlikely (that’s your cue to knock on wood). Today is my 5th “rebirthday”.

A swab of hope: the beginning. When my brother and sister had their blood tested, wishing to give me a second chance at life, neither of them was a “match” to be my life-saving stem cell donor…