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Courtesy of the Hardy family John Maxwell (center) with bone marrow receipients Rachel and Michael Hardy; and (inset) John's late cousin, Stacey.

From somewhere deep inside his soul, a fountain of "whys" flooded John Maxwell's heart. The small casket at the front of the church held the body of John's cousin, Stacey.

The leukemia didn't care that she was only 6 years old or that she had just started her first day of kindergarten. John would have done anything to save his little cousin.

John vowed never to forget her death. God was convincing him to make a decision that would ultimately change his life. He decided to be added to the National Bone Marrow Registry. He could no longer save Stacey, but possibly he could help others.

	Without bone marrow we don't live, and without Christ we don't have eternal life.

A single call at work suddenly brought to reality his newly made promise to Stacey. John called his wife Lisa immediately afterward. "Honey, I've been chosen," he exclaimed.

"What now, they want you to be a soccer coach again this year?" Lisa said.

"No, I've been chosen as a donor," replied the busy young father of three. "I'm a match. They want me to donate my bone marrow."

A match made in heaven
In 1998, John Maxwell (who is not the famous pastor-turned-leadership-expert of the same name) realized that he had begun a new journey. Because of Stacey's death, God had arranged "bone marrow matches made in heaven" that only Maxwell could supply.

His first donation would go to a 54-year-old woman in Colorado. As John laid on a hospital bed being prepped for the donation process, he suddenly realized the magnitude of his decisions. Unknown to John, the woman at the other end of the process was eager to see her son graduate from college. She wanted to participate in the upcoming marriage of another son and also hoped to live long enough to become a grandmother. The sacrifice for John was a day off work and mild discomfort to save a woman's life. The process boggled John's mind. How could something this easy be so important to another person?

Early the next morning, John entered the operating room and was given full anesthesia. When he awoke from the procedure, John looked toward heaven and told Stacey, "This one's for you, honey."

The National Bone Marrow Registry requires a year of confidentiality for both the recipient and the donor after a donation. John knew in his heart that a woman he may never meet was fighting for her life. This stranger seemed to control his thoughts as he returned to his normal routine. He began to pray regularly for her health—and her soul.

John realized that many people refuse to join the National Registry because of the unknown fears accompanied with donating bone marrow. He wanted to assure people of the simplicity of the procedure. John contacted the United Way and asked them if he could speak to people about joining the registry. Soon, John began another mission in honor of Stacey.

The woman from Colorado had one of her wishes come true when she finally met the man who had saved her life. Flying to John's home near Flint, Michigan, Tracy Brainard not only bonded quickly as a friend of the family, but John's kids soon became her surrogate grandchildren.

John continued his speaking engagements in support of the National Bone Marrow Registry when suddenly another call interrupted his life.

Rachel and 'Grace'
John had no idea about the complicated lives of the Connecticut family with whom he would soon become intimately connected. But once again, he was a willing-and-able donor.

Mel and Jackie Hardy's 6-year-old daughter, Rachel, was suffering from a disease called Fanconi Anemia. Because of the illness, she had developed myelogenous leukemia. A recent bone marrow aspiration revealed the leukemia clone cells, and a bone marrow transplant was her only hope.

Remarkably, John's bone marrow matched another needy person. This entered him into a pool of only 303 people internationally that have been able to donate bone marrow to more than one person. There is a less than 0.1 percent chance of being a donor for more than one patient. John's life-giving cells would soon be going to a girl the same age as his cousin Stacey.

Rachel was required to undergo several days of chemotherapy prior to her bone marrow transplant surgery. Following her third day of chemo, Rachel's dad started to think about all that could go wrong with his daughter's upcoming procedure. He also realized the importance of the mystery man from Michigan. He prayed that the man wouldn't change his mind at the last minute, and he thanked God for this man's willingness to help strangers.

John and his family decided to send along a small gift to the unknown little girl needing his healthy cells. They purchased two stuffed Beanie Babies and a pewter pin angel. Rachel's parents put the gifts by her bed.

As John's family in Michigan began to pray for this unknown little girl, they decided to name her "Grace" so that they had someone specific to pray for during the next year. Unknown to the Maxwells, Rachel's transplant was successful and her body promptly began accepting the new bone marrow.

John again began speaking with everyone about his experiences after his second donation. His message was clear: "Jesus Christ is the lifeline to heaven. He shed His blood for us, and bone marrow is the lifeline in our lives. Without bone marrow we don't live, and without Christ we don't have eternal life."

John also chose a favorite Bible verse to help him articulate the impact he was having on people's lives. The verse, from Matthew 25 reads, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

Giving hope
After the year of confidentiality was up, John immediately contacted the Hardy family. On July 11, 2002, John and Rachel finally met.

The Hardy family flew to Michigan, and as Rachel got off the plane, John was waiting for her at the gate. John had prayed for this little girl over the past year, but above all he wanted to meet her parents and see the hope in their eyes.

"Words cannot describe our gratitude to John and his family," says Mel Hardy today. The families bonded easily and now the Maxwells and Hardys meet for holidays and spend vacations together.

Today, Rachel is in the third grade, enjoying a full life. Sadly, though, the Hardys' son, Michael, who has the same disease that plagued his sister, will soon need to undergo his own bone marrow transplant.

Fortunately for Michael, he didn't have to wait months and months to find a bone marrow donor. He already has a willing giver who's an identical match, and his name is John Maxwell.

Editor's Note: For more information about becoming a bone marrow donor, visit www.marrow.org.

Elizabeth A. Wehman is a freelance writer from Owosso, Michigan.

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