Lemont Blood Cancer Survivor to Meet Donor at Local Marrow Drive

A stem cell transplant saved the life of Lemont resident Paul Orednick earlier this year, and next month, he'll meet his match.

Orednick was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in December 2011 at the age of 72, and was told by doctors he had only a year to live without a stem cell transplant. He was devastated when he found out that the procedure is not typically performed on people his age.
 
Determined to fight, Orednick sought a second opinion at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After an evaluation, Orednick's hope was restored when he found out he was healthy enough to undergo the procedure, despite his age.
 
The journey to save his life began and Paul compared his battle with cancer to his restoration of 1932 Chevy Five Window Coupe—his pride and joy.  

“Rust on a car is often called 'cancer,' and I had to remove the rust or ‘cancerous’ portions and strip my car down to its basic form before I could begin the process of restoration," Orednick said. "My medical team would do the same for me; chemotherapy to remove the cancer followed by a stem cell transplant from an anonymous donor which meant my restoration.”
 
On March 21, 2012, Orednick received a stem cell donation from an anonymous female donor through the "Be the Match" bone marrow registry. His family gave the donor the name “Hope,” as her generosity had given him hope.

Because Be the Match requires a year to elapse before allowing donors and recipients to contact each other, Orednick has had to wait to meet "Hope."

On Aug. 7, his "Hope" will turn into his "Destiny," when he is finally introduced to his donor, Destiny Stout.
 
Stout initially signed up for Be the Match during a registry drive at college. Little did she know, she would end up saving Orednick's life.
 
“All I knew about Paul was that he was a 70-year-old male who had a blood cancer," Stout said. "My father passed when I was 16 and he was born in 1938; if he were alive he’d be 75. When I thought of Paul, I thought of my father and that I would fight to do anything to help him."

"I had no doubt that I had to believe this was meant to be," she said.
 
Orednick and Stout will turn their first meeting into a good cause by hosting the “Paul’s Journey from Hope to Destiny Marrow Drive” during the Aug. 7 car show in Lemont. The public is invited to join the registry, which connects patients with bone marrow donors. 
 
"We are asking individuals who are 18 to 44, meet our health guide lines, willing to donate to any patient in need and agree to keep your contact information current to join the BTM Registry," said Julie Contreras, a representative for Be the Match. "You could be the cure for a blood cancer patient. Everyone deserves a second chance at life.”

The drive will be held from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 7 at 305 Canal St. Registration is free, and only requires a cheek swab and completion of a short medical history form.