Jennell Jenney's bone marrow donation saved Jim Munroe's life, who was suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The donation was a perfect match out of an 8-million-person registry, making it a rare and life-saving connection.
The odds of finding a perfect 10/10 bone marrow match are around 50%, but the likelihood of finding any match ranges between 66% and 97%. Jennell being the one perfect match out of 8 million people is statistically staggering, akin to winning a lottery.
Jennell felt like an imposter and struggled with the role she played in Jim's narrative, which framed her as a religious symbol. As an atheist, she found it difficult to reconcile her actions with the Christian interpretation of her donation as a miracle.
Jennell underwent a process where she received eight injections to boost her white blood cell count, causing significant discomfort. Her stem cells were then harvested through a six-hour procedure where her blood was drawn, filtered for stem cells, and returned to her body.
Jim saw his recovery as a divine intervention, interpreting the timing of his transplant (three days after his birthday) and the perfect match with Jennell as biblical echoes, specifically referencing the resurrection of Jesus on the third day.
In an episode first reported in 2017, we bring you what may be, maybe the greatest gift one person could give to another.
You never know what might happen when you sign up to donate bone marrow. You might save a life… or you might be magically transported across a cultural chasm and find yourself starring in a modern adaptation of the greatest story ever told.
One day, without thinking much of it, Jennell Jenney swabbed her cheek and signed up to be a donor. Across the country, Jim Munroe desperately needed a miracle, a one-in-eight-million connection that would save him. It proved to be a match made in marrow, a bit of magic in the world that hadn’t been there before. But when Jennell and Jim had a heart-to-heart in his suburban Dallas backyard, they realized they had contradictory ideas about where that magic came from. Today, an allegory for how to walk through the world in a way that lets you be deeply different, but totally together.
This piece was reported by Latif Nasser. It was produced by Annie McEwen, with help from Bethel Habte and Alex Overington.
Special thanks to Dr. Matthew J. Matasar, Dr. John Hill, Stephen Spellman at CIBMTR, St. Cloud State University’s Cru Chapter, and Mandy Naglich.
Join Be The Match's bone marrow registry here: https://join.bethematch.org)
EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Latif NasserProduced by - Annie McEwenwith help from - Bethel Habte, and Alex Overington
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