University Of Iowa Student Reunites With German Donor After Life-Saving stem cell transplant
USA: Ethan Wattleworth, now a student at the University of Iowa, was diagnosed as a child with a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder and required a stem cell transplant to survive. The transplant became the pivotal event in his life story, allowing him to grow into college and plan for the future. Medical teams arranged the procedure and, in the months and years after, his recovery and relationships evolved around that single lifesaving intervention.
Thousands of miles away in Berlin, a man named Hannes agreed to join Germany’s stem cell donor registry after a friend encouraged him. He completed registration on his mobile phone, returned the kit, and was contacted by the registry about a potential match just one week later. The registry informed him there was a patient waiting for his stem cells, and that decision set in motion the cross-border link between donor and recipient.
For the first two years post-transplant the two were kept anonymous by policy, communicating through anonymous letters that left a deep impression on both men. Those letters turned into regular contact: emails, phone calls and FaceTime conversations every other week. This year the pattern shifted—names were exchanged, a Zoom meeting took place, and finally the pair met in person. The reunion was emotional and intense; they embraced, met family members and began to travel together in Europe, including skiing trips, developing a profound, enduring bond.
Ethan describes Hannes as mentor, friend and the man who saved his life, and Hannes plans to come to Iowa City for Ethan’s graduation. The story follows a stem cell transplant that began as a medical necessity and grew into a transatlantic human connection, illustrating how donor registries, timely contact and sustained communication transformed an anonymous lifesaving procedure into a lasting personal relationship.
