Quinlan girl meets German man who donated bone marrow that saved her life

Landrie Lay's donor started as a stranger from Europe. But over the years, he’s become family to the North Texans.

QUINLAN, Texas - A young Hunt County girl got to meet the man who donated bone marrow that helped save her life.

FOX 4 has followed Landrie Lay's health journey since 2019.

Her donor started as a stranger from Europe, but over the years, he’s become family to the North Texans.

It's been an incredible journey getting to this point. The family was there to greet the donor at DFW Airport.

Landrie has spent a large chunk of her childhood in the hospital, but thanks to a man's act of kindness, she's home and on the mend.

"We picked him up that Friday night and it was emotional, more emotional than I thought it would have been," Landrie’s mother, Lindsay Lay, said.

It was a meet-up two years in the making.

Landrie, now a 7-year-old, got to meet the stranger who literally saved her life: A 26-year-old man from Germany named Phillip.

"He is the kindest, sweetest, just all-around good person," Lindsay said.

Mom Lindsay spearheaded the long-anticipated visit to the family's home in Quinlan.

Phillip sent along eight gifts ahead of their visit. The family took Phillip to eat barbecue for the first time in his life. They also spent countless hours playing on the farm.

The joyous occasion is the result of a long and painful journey, filled with many highs and lows for the Lay family.

Landrie was diagnosed with a blood cancer called MDS in 2018 and needed a bone marrow transplant. At the time, all the family knew was a college student who lived outside Munich, was a match and willing to help.

"Did more blood work and got a call a week later and said that she was his genetic twin, and he was just blown away by that," Linsday recalled.

Landrie got her bone marrow transplant on February 13, 2019.

Since then, the Lays have wanted to thank Phillip in person.

"He fit into our family in like five minutes, like a missing piece that has been missing for years," Lindsay said. "It was a little bit of closure to meet him, because we're able to maybe see the upper side of it."

Landrie has had many complications since her transplant, but is living her best life, even with her physical limitations.

[REPORTER: "How are you feeling these days?"]

"Thumbs up. Not all the way, it won't go all the way up," Lindsay responded.

She uses a wheelchair to help battle fatigue and muscle weakness, but she's back in school and making straight A's. The future looks bright.

[MOTHER: "What did Philip do for you?’]

"Saved my life," Landrie said.

How to be a donor: www.dkms.org

Landrie is 100% engrafted. She has her three-year appointment next month, and that's when they'll know if everything is going in the right direction.

The Lay family is already making plans to visit Phillip in Germany.

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