When Hayden Ryals, a student, saw a need for a blood stem cell donor, she immediately decided to sign up.
But she was stunned after receiving a call just a year later, asking for her help to save a one-year-old girl’s life.
Hayden, now 27, from Alabama, had the surgery and she instantly felt connected to little Skye.
And two years later, they met for the first time. Hayden invited Skye to become a flower girl at her wedding.
“I have always given blood since I was 16. I find it is a small thing to do to help people. Donating only takes 10 minutes.”
“Then I went to University in Auburn, Alabama. I was going to my lecture one day and saw a stall from ‘Be the Match’. I go there to see what they were about.”
“The lady at the stall told me they were looking for bone marrow donors. I just needed a swab in my cheek. They would have my tissue, and then I would be put on the register. You only get called if you’re a match.”
“I happily said yes, it only took two minutes and didn’t think much more about it.”
“After almost a year, in April 2016, I got a phone call. It was from Be the Match.”
“You have been matched with a one-year-old little girl,” I was told.
“At first, I thought it was a mistake, surely I wouldn’t be able to do something so big? But it was true, she needed me to save her life.”
“I had been feeling so down in life, wondering what I was supposed to be doing, I felt a surge of joy at being able to help someone.”
“I found out the little girl, Skye Savren-McCormick was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. It is a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. She lived in California, miles away from me.”
“I immediately knew I wanted to help her.”
“I sent her parents a letter, through a co-ordinator, telling them I wouldn’t back out.”
“They already felt like family to me. It was strange how connected I felt to a little girl I had never met.”
“In July 2016, we did the transfer. I went to a hospital three hours away in Birmingham Alabama and was put under general anesthetic for an hour.”
“They put a hollow needle into my hip bone to extract my bone marrow. It wasn’t bad, and I didn’t feel much pain afterward.”
“I was told Skye responded well but had to wait a year to contact Skye’s parents.”
“When I eventually spoke to her mum Talia, it was emotional. “You’ve saved my daughter’s life,” she said through tears.”
“During this time, I started dating my childhood friend Adrian Ryals, now 34. He was in the US Air Force and was posted to Korea for a year in 2017.”
“Just before he left, Adrian asked the question. Delighted, we set a wedding date for June 2018.”
“In March 2018, I sent Skye a birthday present and asked if she would consider being my flower girl.”
“I knew it was a big ask, she lived a six-hour flight away, but she was so special to me.”
“If there was a chance she could come, I wanted her at my wedding.”
“Skye still lived in the hospital at the time and had never flown. But in May 2018, the doctor gave her the green light to be able to come to the wedding.”
“Talia, Skye and her dad Todd flew down the Thursday before the wedding.”
“As we arrived at the church where we were having the rehearsal, they were already there waiting.”
“I was breathless and speechless to finally meet this little human, and know I was fortunate enough to have been able to help her.”
“I just ran up to her, got on my knees and gave her a big hug. She wasn’t shy with me, as we had spoken on the phone a few times before.”
“Skye didn’t understand what I had done for her, but she knew I was somebody special.”
“I was so honored to have Skye be my flower girl, it made the wedding even more beautiful. I feel so lucky to have her in my life.”
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