Billy Higgins became a superhero for a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, all because of a love interest, that has compelled him to become a bone marrow donor.
It was four years ago, when young Rupert Cross was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder which required him to undergo chemotherapy in a specialist unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital for 80 days straight.
After undergoing grueling treatment, the boy is now completely healed after Higgins was a perfect match for Rupert’s bone marrow.
Higgins was given the opportunity to donate bone marrow because he was ‘match-making’ with one of the donors in the queue. Higgins says that he stood in the line after he saw a woman standing in line who he liked.
When he registered to be a donor and found out that he was a match for Rupert, he didn’t hesitate to undergo the operation for a transplant.
Not only did donating his bone marrow save Rupert’s life but also got him his wife as he is now married to the woman who stood in the queue with him.
“If you’ve got that opportunity to provide bone marrow that someone desperately needs, then you have to do that,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”