‘I feel like it’s a sign’: Duxbury woman donates bone marrow on anniversary of her father’s passing from cancer

A -year-old woman from Duxbury made a life-saving transplant inspired by her father who passed away from leukemia last year Sydney Philbrick is a contemporary bone marrow donor It was a rare form of leukemia and so despite doctors at Dana Farber doing their best he passed away seven months after assessment explained Philbrick After her father s passing Philbrick registered with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry She got a call last month that she was a percent match for a subject in need of a transplant When I first got the call I at once got chills I feel like it s a sign from my dad and that he s very happy and he would be proud of me she declared Philbrick flew to Washington D C last week to donate blood and five cups of bone marrow to the -year-old client The procedure fell on the first anniversary of her father s death When they gave us the date of the operation for the both of us it was kind of a God moment because the odds are so astronomically against that commented Philbrick Now she hopes to encourage others to become donors All it takes is a swab of the cheek and you re in the registry and you might get a call you might not but now you re in there and it s a really good feeling to have stated Philbrick I think anyone who has the opportunity to do something like this should absolutely take it It s a very rewarding experience Philbrick explained she hopes to one day meet the individual who received her bone marrow