In 2017, longtime Edmonds resident Tom Hayes was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Within 30 days of his original diagnosis, Hayes’ doctors said he was in remission but in 2020 his cancer returned. Doctors believed his best chance at survival was to receive a blood stem cell transplant from a suitable donor. A donor was found in Poland, and the transplant he received helped him beat his cancer.

In 2023, Hayes got the opportunity of a lifetime: He met the donor who saved his life. 

Pawel Kijewski was 27 years old when he was informed in 2020 that his stem cells could save the life of an unknown man in the United States. After being contacted by DKMS – the largest stem cell donation center in the world – he immediately said yes to becoming a donor. Kijewski said he had registered to donate because as a child he had watched his father consistently donate blood, stating that he wanted to “do something good himself.” 

“On the one hand, I felt pride that they [DKMS] had chosen me to save someone’s life, especially because finding a matching donor is extremely rare due to the incredible uniqueness of our DNA,” Kijewski said, “On the other hand, I felt fear and trepidation because I realized that there was someone in need and my stem cells were the only way to save him, and I just hoped that his body would accept them.” 

Hayes’ body did accept Kiljewski’s stem cells, and Hayes was pronounced cancer free. 

At the end of the DKMS autonomy policy — a designated period in which both parties remain anonymous –a Hayes and Kiljewski began to speak on Zoom in January 2023. The two formed a strong bond and made plans to meet in Poland later that year. In May 2023, Hayes and Kiljewski finally met in person.

“I’m not sure most people have an experience where you meet the person that literally saved your life,” said Hayes, now 72. “It was magical, it was surreal, it’s not something you can describe easily in language.” 

Kijewski described the meeting in similar terms.  

“I thought that seeing Tom would be a formality because we supposedly already knew each other. I was so wrong. My tears flowed when I saw the man who flew halfway around the world just to say, ‘thank you’ to me. It was a magical moment,” he said. 

While together in Poland, the two toured Kijewski’s hometown and visited Kijewski’s workplace, home and parent’s house. In addition to spending time together, they partnered with DKMS to host a blood stem cell donor registration drive and a presentation at Kijewski’s workplace to tell their story. At the registration drive, nearly 50 individuals signed up to become stem cell donors, all with the hope they could do for someone else what Kijewski did for Hayes.  

Having beaten cancer, Hayes is turning his attention to helping others, and he plans to host blood stem cell donor registration drives on college campuses. He emphasized that people in their 20s are of a prime age to donate stem cells; he hopes that his story will inspire them to do just this. He has already begun fundraising campaigns for cancer patients and their families at Seattle Children’s who are relying on clinical trials in their fight. If you want to support the efforts, you can donate to the For the Cure NW or directly to DKMS. 

“There is always a way to turn an adversity, like having a blood cancer, into a real positive,”  Hayes said  “There is always a way to find a silver lining in the adversity you go through.” 

— By Logan Bury