In 2020, at the young age of 14, Brooklyn teenager Elijah John went to the dentist with a toothache that wouldn’t heal. His life would change, however, when that visit would lead to a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, meaning he needed chemotherapy. “He was always healthy — it wasn’t something he was born with. We started to lose hope, to be honest with you,” his father, Karl John, told The New York Post. Yet John’s treatments were not making the necessary progress that his family hoped for. “The first four months, the chemo didn’t take. It was one of the scariest moments that I ever in my life endured. And watching Elijah going through the chemo, losing his hair, and being sick, I just kept praying,” said his mother, Chawn Tucker. The only chance for John’s life would now mean a bone marrow transplant.

Little did he know that a man by the name of Nicholas Miranda-Newberry had signed up to be a donor in 2016 after seeing a Facebook ad. Miranda-Newberry ended up being the match that John needed. “I felt shocked, I had forgotten I signed up. But I felt happy that I had the chance to save a person’s life,” Miranda-Newberry said of being notified of the match. Describing the procedure, he admitted it was “difficult.” “The bone marrow transplant, it was difficult — but I was able to get through the whole process, and I believe [that by] doing that I was able to save a person’s life. I would honestly do it again.” Miranda-Newberry donated his marrow to John in 2021.

Three years later, John, who is now 18 and on his way to college, was able to thank the man who saved his life in person for the first time. Miranda-Newberry was now 25 and a newly wed when he traveled from his home in Chicago to meet John at Manhattan’s Pier 57 in Chelsea. The pair shared an emotional hug, with John’s parents tearfully thanking Miranda-Newberry for saving their son’s life. “[It’s] unbelievable. There’s no word that I could even put into this moment right now. I didn’t think this day would have happened — I could not wait to meet Nicholas,” said his mother. “He’s a godsend. That’s the best way to say it: Nicholas is a godsend,” said his father.

Miranda-Newberry said he hopes their story will encourage others to donate. “You don’t know who is out there who needs your help. You can be anyone’s hero if you want to be,” he said. Miranda-Newberry and John were matched through the nonprofit DKMS. You can find out more about donating on their website.