SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ — It was a moment 17-year-old Katie Amdal will cherish forever.
“When we were hugging, I didn’t want to let go, I just wanted to stay in that moment for as long as possible,” said Katie recalling a special meeting last month.
Back in 2020, Katie, who was 15 at the time, was diagnosed with Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). A potentially life-threatening condition that required a stem cell transplant.
“I was just not really feeling right, I was tired all the time, I started getting fevers a lot,” said Katie.
“I was very nervous that we were not going to be able to find a donor,” said Katie’s mom Vicky.
Vicky says finding a matching donor for this procedure is extremely rare and must come from outside the family. That’s why they turned to an organization called DKMS, the largest stem cell donor center in the world.
“Just trying to find that match, I was afraid,” said Vicky recalling her anxiousness in the process.
Fortunately, they did find a match. A 22-year-old woman in Memphis named Sophie Kink. But when it came time for Katie's lifesaving transplant, doctors informed Katie and her family they didn’t have enough stem cells to move forward.
“Mentally we were ready to go and that was devastating for us,” said Vicky.
Even worse, Sophie couldn’t donate again. But in a twist of fate, another DNA match would reveal itself. This time in the form of Sophie’s twin sister Olivia who was ready to make sure Katie got what she needed.
“I hope there’s never a day that goes by that you don’t see all the good things you were made for, you have changed my life,” said Olivia to Katie at a gathering last month.
More than a year after the transplant, Olivia met Katie in person for the first time at a conference in Orlando. The two shared a long overdue embrace. Tears flowed as Katie presented Olivia with a gift to commemorate their lifelong bond. Katie called the twins her new sisters and sent this message to them...
“Thank you for looking past yourself to help somebody else that you don’t even know, who lives in a different state,” said Katie.
To learn more on how you can become a donor and save more lives click here.