A retired New York fireman who helped pull victims from the 9/11 terrorist attacks and risked his own life has received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant from a UK man. Sal Parisi, now aged 68, was one of the courageous firefighters who gallantly responded on the frontline as the US suffered tragic terror attacks.
A massive 343 of his Fire Department of New York (FDNY) colleagues were killed, with many more suffering from health issues in the years that followed the event. Sal himself developed leukaemia, which he believes is linked to being exposed to the devastation caused by the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre.
After serving for 27 years, Sal was handed the diagnosis nine years after retiring and feared he wouldn’t get to see his grandchildren grow up, according to Coventry Live. However, after an international search for a compatible bone marrow donor a man from Coventry has saved Sal's life.
Stephen Dawkins, Associate Head of School for Student Experience in Coventry University’s School of Media and Performing Arts, was found to be an almost perfect match. Sal’s bone marrow transplant, thanks to Stephen’s donation, was a success, granting the American hero a pivotal lifeline.
Discussing 9/11 and the impact it had on his long term health, Sal said: “You can’t compare that day to anything else. Everything was pulverised, all you saw was cement, dust and steel.
“We were at the scene of the attacks until at least midnight that night. The biggest thing I can remember was how much my eyes were burning from the contaminated air, not thinking that 17 years later I would have cancer.”
“My grandchildren – six of them – were all born before I was even diagnosed, and thanks to the transplant I got to see them grow up. The oldest one is only eight now, but they were babies when I was diagnosed, and now I can play ball and get involved in sports with them all and enjoy their company, and that’s all thanks to Stephen Dawkins.”
After getting the lifesaving treatment, Sal sent Stephen an email to express his gratitude. This resulted in the pair meeting in New York this year.
Stephen said: “I think that when you give blood, you’re aware that it could help save a life, so donating bone marrow just felt like an extension of that. It didn’t really hit home that giving my bone marrow would actually save someone’s life until I met Sal in person.
“I would urge anybody who can to donate blood and donate bone marrow. Donating bone marrow is a relatively simple process, it was just two days of my life, but it was for the rest of somebody else’s life. It was amazing to meet Sal and his family and it really did feel as though we got on like old friends.”
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