A BRAVE Greenock blood cancer survivor has told of the deeply emotional moment she met her lifesaving hero donor for the first time.

Greenock Telegraph:

Gillian Duffy welcomed German saviour Kay-uwe Rath to her home town - four years after receiving a vital stem cell transplant.

Gillian, 43, told the Telegraph: "It was the most emotional and overwhelming moment of my life - meeting this man who saved my life.

"He saved my life, I would have died without him.

"We are connected forever by blood, he is a part of me."

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Inspirational Gillian who was recently crowned Tele Community Sporting Champion of the Year was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia nearly five years ago.

She faced gruelling chemo and radiotherapy, but was later told by doctors that she needed a stem cell donor to survive.

Greenock Telegraph:

Gillian - who is a top international women's football coach - was plunged into a desperate race against time before matching with Kay-uwe.

She underwent a successful transplant on January 11, 2019.

Now, after years of exchanging letters, Gillian and Kay-uwe have finally met face-to-face after he travelled from Gera in Germany to Inverclyde.

Gillian said: "I went with my dad to the airport, and I stood with a sign that said, 'YOU SAVED MY LIFE', written in German.

"When I met him we just hugged. We have been writing letters and sending presents, but it is so different when you actually meet in person.

"If it wasn't for Kay-uwe I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be able to have watched my niece and nephew grow up, I would have missed all these moments of my family's life."

Greenock Telegraph:

Gillian added: "I had so many things I wanted to know and he wanted to ask me so much as well.

"But the big question for me was why would you go through all that to save the life of a complete stranger.

"He replied, 'Why would you not save someone's life if you can get the chance to do it?'."

Gillian organised a special weekend for 30-year-old Kay-uwe, who is a volunteer firefighter in his home town.

Greenock Telegraph:

They enjoyed a VIP visit to Greenock Fire Station where he met local firefighters, many of whom are signed up as potential donors to the Anthony Nolan Trust, and also had an emotional meal with Gillian's family.

Gillian said: "I was so nervous beforehand but Kay-uwe was just lovely.

"It is so hard to explain what it feels like to meet someone you will share a connection with forever."

Greenock Telegraph:

For the first year following the lifesaving procedure Kay-uwe and Gillian remained anonymous under the strict rules governing transplants.

Thereafter, their attempts to meet had been thwarted because of Covid.

But Gillian added: "It was worth the wait. I now cannot wait for a return trip to see Kay-uwe and his wife Tina.

"I'm now trying to learn German!"

READ MORE: Greenock woman with leukaemia set to meet lifesaving donor

Gillian's now has two pairs of trainers marking the key dates on her remarkable journey, one with the day she was diagnosed (11 October 2018) and another with the date of her transplant (11 January 2019).

She said: "I was always on the go before, I was a PE teacher, I ran football teams, I was coaching. My house was somewhere I slept and ate.

"Now I have to watch, I get tired, I have to be aware of my body and make sure I am eating right.

"But I have been given this chance with a stem cell transplant and it means everything."

Now fresh from winning at the Tele Community Champions Awards Gillian, who runs national sides and is a huge ambassador of young footballers in Inverclyde, is set to make football history by becoming the first woman, and youngest person ever, to take a top national football role when she becomes Scottish Schools Football President next month.

Greenock Telegraph:

Gillian's transplant was made possible because of the international work of both the Anthony Nolan Trust in the UK and its German equivalent donor list, DKMS.

Anthony Nolan Chief Executive Henny Braund MBE, said: “It’s wonderful to see how well Gillian is doing, and it’s equally heartwarming that she and Kay-Uwe have been able to finally meet. 

"Donors like Kay-Uwe make an incredible difference to blood cancer patients and their families.

"I hope he feels proud every day of being able to give Gillian a second chance at life."   

*Registering to donate your stem cells is quick and easy – simply visit the Anthony Nolan trust: https://bit.ly/42lMLO8

*For more information on the DKMS list see dkms.org.uk