Boy saves father’s life with stem cell donation: ‘He’s my hero’
By Leo Stallworth
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LOS ANGELES, California (KABC) — A young boy from Southern California is being called a hero after he donated stem cells to save his father’s life.
Dr. Nick Mondek was at death’s door until his son, Stephen, stepped in.
“This past April of this year I relapsed with leukemia,” said Mondek, an anesthesiologist who works in the Los Angeles area.
Mondek had a stem cell transplant before. Now he desperately needed another one – yet he could not find a match.
“It came back very aggressive,” Mondek said. “I was immediately hospitalized.”
Mondek was running out of time.
“I’m thinking about my family, and I’m thinking about how I’m not ready to go yet,” he told Eyewitness News.
In his darkest hour, sitting in his doctor’s office, Mondek had a thought.
“As soon as my doctor came in the room I said, ‘Could a 9-year-old who’s 70 pounds give us enough stem cells?’ And he just looked at me and smirked and said, ‘He just might be able to,'” Mondek recalled.
His son was a match.
“He really was a brave young man who wanted to help his dad in any way he could,” said Dr. Nicole Baca with Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s.
The procedure was more difficult due to Stephen’s age. He was 9 years old at the time – one of the youngest ever to undergo a stem cell transplant. Yet, he didn’t hesitate.
The transplant was performed at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s in Los Angeles. It was a smashing success.
“Very grateful. He’s my hero,” Mondek said about his son.
“It feels good to do that because all my friends are proud of me,” Stephen said.
Mondek sees his son as a superhero who saves the day. In this case, he saved his dad.
“They got a cape on and they’re flying to someone in need who is in a critical point in their life,” Mondek said. “And to see that unfold in front of you, not just any person, but your 9 year old, is incredible.”
Because of the actions of his son, Mondek will no doubt have many more years to share in cherished memories.
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