Fourteen years ago, Todd Ellison heard the words, "You've got cancer."
It was leukemia.
"I was diagnosed at 25. I had over a 450,000 white blood count," Ellison said.
To put that in perspective, between 5,000 and 10,000 is considered normal. He was off the charts sick. It soon became clear that Ellison would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.
A few months after the diagnosis in September 1997, a perfect match was found.
"9-11-97 was my bone marrow transplant date, which I considered my re-birthday," Ellison said.
Through it all, his family, including his sister-in-law, Tracey, and his mother were there willing him to live.
It was a long road back to normal, and a life-changing one.
"I've made it my life's work now. I've been an oncology social worker, a hospice social worker. I've helped people go through their cancer experience. I've sat with people while they were taking their last breath," Ellison said, "and all because of Mark."
Mark Patter was his bone marrow donor. It's been years since Ellison's transplant, but Patter is always on his mind. And this weekend, for the first time, Ellison will get to meet the man he calls his lifesaver.
It will be in a very public place: on the pitcher's mound at the Pawtucket Red Sox game on Sunday.
"How do you thank someone for saving your life?" Ellison said. "I've said the words. I've written a card, you know, when we were communicating initially. But to have him ... to touch him and to thank him."
While Ellison and Patter are on the big stage at McCoy Stadium before Sunday's game, they'll be raising awareness about the importance of becoming a member of the marrow donor registry, now known as Be the Match.
You can become a part of that registry right at the game. Two simple cheek swabs are all they need from you.
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