Welsh Ambulance Service hero gives gift of life to woman on the other side of the Atlantic

04.11.26

A Welsh Ambulance Service Emergency Ambulance Practitioner (EAP) gave bone marrow and stem cell donations to help save the life of American woman.

Eleven years ago, while giving blood at his local blood bank, Andrew Harris (55), from Wrexham, made a decision that would lead to an extraordinary and life-saving sequence of events.

During an appointment to give blood, Andrew, who at the time was working at Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital, saw a leaflet on bone marrow donations.

Andrew had been a regular blood donor for many years and after reading the leaflet, decided that it was something he would like to do.

After initial enquiries and tests, Andrew gave samples and entered the bone marrow database but didn’t hear anything until two years later.



Andrew said: “To be honest, I hadn’t really given it much thought as it had been a couple of years since I had done the initial testing.

“Then, out of the blue, I got a letter saying that I had been matched to a potential recipient.

“I was told that I was one of three potential donors and after further testing, it was confirmed that I was the best match.”

Andrew then underwent the withdrawal procedure, where bone marrow and stem cells were extracted from his hips.

Andrew continued: “The procedure wasn’t as bad as I was expecting but don’t get me wrong, it was not what you would call comfortable and for a few days afterwards, I was in quite a lot of discomfort.

“I was also feeling quite tired and low on energy which is normal after such a procedure because your body is busy replacing all the cells that have been removed.”

After recovering, Andrew went back to work but due to rules around donations, he was not allowed to know the identity or location of the recipient until three years after the procedure.

Andrew explained: “It’s normal for donors and recipients not to know each other’s identities for the first three years in case of complications or unsuccessful treatment.

“I had no idea who had received my stem cells or where they lived.

“Then, after the three-year period had expired, I was contacted to say the recipient wanted to get in touch if I was happy for them to do so.”

Andrew didn’t hesitate and said that he would be happy for them to contact him.

To his surprise, he was contacted by an American lady named Alecia Bone, from Kansas.



Alecia, who was just 32 years old at the time, had been diagnosed with leukaemia, and her prognosis was very poor, with her only realistic chance of recovery being a successful stem cell match and transplant.

Since their initial contact, Andrew and Alecia have formed a strong friendship, with the pair exchanging regular calls.

Alecia has gone on to make a full recovery and due to her unique experience and perspective, now works at the same hospital that treated her leukaemia, advising other cancer patients on what to expect and how their treatment is likely to unfold.

However, in a cruel and ironic twist of fate, Andrew was himself diagnosed with cancer.

Andrew said: “It was totally unexpected, I thought I was suffering from symptoms of dehydration and maybe gallstones but after being referred for a CT scan by my GP, I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (Cancer of the kidney).

“I was shocked by the diagnosis and was told that I would have to have my right kidney and adrenal gland removed.

“However, as bad as all that sounded, the doctors assured me that the cancer had been found at a relatively early stage and did not appear to have spread.”

After successful surgery and a period of recovery, Andrew was able to return to work with the Welsh Ambulance Service and continues to have scheduled scans and check-ups.

Andrew and Alecia’s remarkable story has also caught the attention of the American public and on Friday, 30^th October, Andrew appeared live on TV show ‘The Morning Medical Update’ along with Alecia.

In an episode entitled ‘From Cancer Patient to Care Team: A Life-Changing Connection’, Andrew and Alecia discussed their unique shared experience and deep bond.



Andrew has nothing but positive things to say about his experience and said: “I really want to highlight the importance of being on the bone marrow register, it is a really worthwhile thing to do and could literally be the difference between life and death for someone out there in need of a matching donor.”

Emma Wood, Chief Executive Officer at Welsh Ambulance Service (WAST) praised Andrew, saying: “Andrew has shown tremendous courage and selflessness.

“Having people like him in the organisation, that embody such values and qualities is something really special, and I believe these traits are a really good reflection of the people I’m lucky enough to have working here.

“I think you need to be a special type of person to do the job Andrew and other WAST colleagues do, each and every day.

“Well done Andrew on your tremendous gift of life to Alecia and I wish you all the very best in your own, continued recovery.”