For 18-year-old leukemia survivor Elijah John, it was a meeting he wasn’t sure would ever happen.
The Brooklyn native and his family gathered at Pier 57 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood on a sunny Saturday afternoon in August to meet Nicholas Miranda-Newberry, the man who donated his bone marrow to save the teenager’s life three years ago.
“He’s a gift from heaven. That’s the best way to put it: Nicholas is a gift from heaven,” said Elijah’s father, Karl John, a real estate manager in Brooklyn.
John was first diagnosed with leukemia in November 2020 at age 14 after developing a toothache that wouldn’t heal. A visit to the dentist eventually led to a blood cancer diagnosis and a handful of subsequent surgeries, his family told The Post.
“He was always healthy – it wasn’t something he was born with,” John’s father said. “To be honest, we started to lose hope.”
“The first four months of chemotherapy didn’t work,” said John’s mother, pharmacy assistant Chawn Tucker of Queens. “It was one of the most horrific moments I’ve ever been through in my life. And as I watched Elijah go through chemotherapy, losing his hair and being sick, I just kept praying.”
“I felt like I was stuck in a room for months,” John said of chemotherapy. “I didn’t let it affect me, but at some point I started to miss my friends. I turned away from the whole world. I didn’t talk to anyone – I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.”
According to the family, John’s hair and teeth began falling out after their son began chemotherapy – all before Miranda-Newberry was identified as a matching donor and gave John a “second chance at life.”
Miranda-Newberry, 25, a self-described world traveler living in Chicago, first volunteered as a bone marrow donor at age 18 after seeing an ad on social media for DKMS, the renowned blood cancer research nonprofit.
First, he took a cheek swab and sent it to the organization by mail. Four years later, Miranda-Newberry – who has also been a blood plasma donor for two years – was contacted by DKMS and informed that he would be a candidate for John.
“The bone marrow transplant was difficult – but I went through the whole process and I believe I was able to save someone’s life,” the donor told the Post. “I would honestly do it again.”
“I have always been a person who wants to help such people,” he added.
Just before 5pm on Saturday, as John nervously walked across the roof, he caught his first glimpse of the man who had saved his life. A broad smile spread across his face and he hugged Miranda-Newburry for several minutes.
The emotionally charged moment moved John’s parents to tears – just a few years ago they had feared losing their son to blood cancer.
“It’s unbelievable,” added Tucker, 51. “I just can’t put this moment into words right now. I never thought this day would happen – I couldn’t wait to meet Nicholas.”
The teenager presented Miranda-Newberry with a plaque expressing his gratitude on Saturday. The plaque read:
“Nicholas, I take a moment to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible generosity in donating your bone marrow to me. Your selfless act has given me a new life and I am eternally grateful. Your kindness and willingness to help a stranger in need is truly inspiring. Thanks to you, I have the chance to look forward to a healthier future. Thank you for being my hero.”
The meeting comes at a time when John is entering a new phase of his life: the 18-year-old cancer survivor and aspiring engineer will begin his studies at the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn next week.
Miranda-Newberry is also celebrating a new chapter: he recently celebrated his six-month wedding anniversary.
Both the John and Miranda-Newberry families said the bone marrow donation experience created a lifelong bond not only between Elijah and Nicholas, but between both families. John’s family is now marking the anniversary of the bone marrow donation to celebrate the Brooklyn teen’s “new birth.”
“Elijah and Nick – that’s a wonderful story, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen that often because not enough people register. Moments like this, where you can see the whole cycle from registration to donation to the actual impact, are really inspiring for many people,” said DKMS spokeswoman Maya Ward.
Every three minutes, an American is diagnosed with some form of blood cancer, the spokesman said, adding that 70 percent of people with blood cancer rely on donors outside their families.
“We hope (John’s story) will encourage more people to get the free cheek swab and register – because it really can save a life,” Ward added.
Adults over 18 years of age can register online with DKMS at dkms.org to be included in the donor pool and request a swab kit.
“I wish there were more people out there like Nick (sic),” John’s father added.
“I hope other families have a chance to do this too. I know a lot of people are going through the same things we are going through. God bless Nick.”
