Taiwanese Singer Donated Bone Marrow To S’porean Girl 20 Years Ago, Now They’re Like Family

What began as an anonymous act of kindness has grown into a 20-year bond that now feels like family.

Taiwanese singer-songwriter Wang Dawen recently took to Facebook to share a heartwarming story of donating his bone marrow two decades ago through the United States’ National Marrow Donor Program.

On the very same day, the marrow was packed into a handheld cooler and flown from Chicago across the globe to Singapore, where it was used in a life-saving transplant.

At the time, he knew almost nothing about the recipient, only that she was a nine-year-old girl battling leukemia.

A year later, with both sides’ consent, they finally revealed their identities and began keeping in touch. The girl he helped save was Ruby.

Every May, they exchanged cards and have video calls to mark the anniversary of the transplant, a day they now celebrate as her “second birthday”.

In recent years, the tradition has taken a sweeter turn.

She bakes a cake at home (strawberry this year). He, without an oven, picks up a slice of classic cheesecake from Starbucks. Then they hop on a video call and celebrate together, miles apart.

“This is my favourite tradition of ours, Ruby. And 20 years later, may you continue to thrive and bloom, in good health and spirit,” wrote Dawen.

Though they still haven’t met in person, he said they’ve “already become like family who’ve known each other for a lifetime.”

“I know when we do, there will be no time for tears. I’m already thinking of the cake,” he added.

Dawen also thanked the donor programme for “changing [their] lives” and encouraged others to consider joining bone marrow registries.