Anthony DeAngelis reads the birthday card his daughter Alyssa gave him after she donated two-thirds of her liver so he could undergo a transplant. Jerry Carino, @njhoopshaven

Such encounters are rare, especially across an ocean. 'She's like my daughter,' Lael McGrath said.

After four months of battling acute myeloid leukemia, Lael McGraths lifeline arrived in a cooler, the kind youd take to a football tailgate or picnic in the park.

Only it didnt contain ham-and-cheese subs from the local deli. These were stem cells from Germany, a lifesaving gift from an anonymous donor.

Last week McGrath, a grandmother of six who lives in Toms River, got to thank that donor face to face. Wiebke Rudolph visited New Jersey and the two celebrated their connection at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

For me its very emotional, McGrath said. Shes like my daughter. Thats how I feel. Its a life relationship that will always be there.

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Bone marrow donor Wiebke Rudolph from Germany (left) hugs transplant recipient Lael McGrath of Toms River (right) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick.(Photo: Daniel DellaPiazza)

Fitness always has been a priority for McGrath, who turned 68 on Monday. In August of 2016 she didnt think much of it when her breathing became a bit labored. The flu, she figured.

Because I was such a fit person, my body didnt have any sickly warnings, she said.

The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which occurs mostly in older adults the average age at diagnosis is 68. According to the American Cancer Society, there are about 21,000 new cases and 11,000 deaths from AML each year in the U.S. For treatment, McGrath was referred to the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick. She would need a stem cell transplant.

Every four minutes a new person in the U.S. is being diagnosed with blood cancer and will need to find a donor, said Dr. Vimal Patel, McGraths hematologist/oncologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.It can be hard (to find a match). We first look at siblings; each sibling has a 1-in-4 chance of being a match.

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(from left) Bone marrow transplant coordinator Mary Kate McGrath, transplant recipient Leal McGrath, hematologist/oncologist Dr. Vimal Patel, and bone marrow donor Wiebke Rudolph at a special celebration with members of the Blood and Marrow Transplant team at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick.(Photo: Daniel DellaPiazza)

None of McGraths siblings came up as a match. So McGraths care team turned to Be The Match, the worlds largest bone-marrow donor registry. They hit the jackpot with Rudolph, although her identity remainedanonymous in keeping with widely accepted transplant protocol.

I just did it, and I didnt think much about it, Rudolph said of her decision to enroll in the registry. I didnt think I would ever know the name (of the recipient) or meet them. I just thought, You get some real-life karma if you do that.

The transplant went well. McGrath returned home two weeks later, on Jan. 1,2017. Then came three months of recovery at home. Now, two-and-a-half years later, McGrath says she is in remission, running a couple of days per week and doing power yoga.

Shes amazing, said daughter Torrey DiMeo, who also lives in Toms River. There are 20-year-olds in her (yoga) class and she flies past them. She is still standing on her head at 67.

Bone marrow donor Wiebke Rudolph from Germany (right) stands with transplant recipient Lael McGrath of Toms River (left) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.(Photo: Daniel DellaPiazza)

Upon learning each others identity, McGrath and Rudolph began a long-distance correspondence that blossomed into a friendship. Last week they met for the first time and visited Robert Wood Johnson together. It was a big moment for all involved.

Its pretty rare in terms of having an unrelated donor meet up with the actual patient themselves, Patel said. To see it happen is remarkable truly heartwarming.

DiMeo was similarly moved.

The emotions were just a whirlwind, she said. Words cant thank someone enough. I really didnt know what to say besides thank you.

McGrath already had begun paying it forward. In 2017 she threw a block party where representatives from Be The Matchregistered dozens of people. One of them could end up rescuing someone halfway around the world, just like Rudolph did.

This is the reason why I do what I do, Patel said. Its amazing to see the pieces of the puzzle that needed to come together, amazing to see the donor and her generosity the gift she gave, the gift of life.

For more information on Be The Match, visit http://www.bethematch.org.

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Jerry Carino is news columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shores interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him atjcarino@gannettnj.com.

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Toms River grandmother with leukemia meets the stem-cell donor who saved her life - Asbury Park Press

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