Now here’s a really nice story which hails from Geneva, but has a distinctly Webster connection.
About two and a half months ago, on Sept. 29, Webster resident Chris Costello and his fiance’ Chelsea were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Geneva. Now, that news in itself is not remarkable. But there’s much more to this story, and it’s pretty touching.
More than 20 years ago, 8-year old Chris Costello was diagnosed with leukemia. After months of chemotherapy, remission and relapsing, he was finally told that a blood stem cell transplant would be his best chance at survival.
Hundreds of miles away in Portland, ME, Ed Suslovic, who had registered as a stem cell donor more than a decade earlier in college, found out he was a match for a young boy battling leukemia. He didn’t hesitate to donate his blood stem cells to a perfect stranger, ultimately saving Chris’s life. A year later, Chris and Ed met in person and instantly formed an unbreakable bond.
Now, back to the wedding. Obviously, it was already a special day. But it was made extra special in that Chris’s stem cell donor and longtime friend, Ed Suslovic, served as best man and officiated the wedding.
How heartwarming and appropriate that was, since it was Ed’s selfless donation that made it possible for Chris to marry the love of his life.
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In 1998, once Chris had regained his health, his mother established Christopher’s Challenge to educate about bone marrow transplants, encourage people to become potential bone marrow donors, and provide financial support to patients going through bone marrow transplant procedures. You, too, could save a life and be part of someone’s inspirational story by signing up through DKMS, the world’s largest blood stem cell donor center.
To find out more about Christopher’s Challenge, click here.
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(posted 12/10/2023)
webster on the web 
I so remember this, so good to see how well Chris has done and how strong their bond has been. Very nice holiday story.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂