Young boy saves father's life with stem cell donation: 'He's my hero'

LOS ANGELES -- A young lad from Southern California is being called a leader aft helium donated stem cells to prevention his father's life.

Dr. Nick Mondek was astatine death's doorway until his son, Stephen, stepped in.

"This past April of this twelvemonth I relapsed with leukemia," said Mondek, an anesthesiologist who works successful the Los Angeles area.

Mondek had a stem compartment transplant before. Now helium desperately needed different 1 - yet helium could not find a match.

"It came backmost precise aggressive," Mondek said. "I was instantly hospitalized."

Mondek was moving retired of time.

"I'm reasoning astir my family, and I'm reasoning astir however I'm not acceptable to spell yet," helium told ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC.

In his darkest hour, sitting successful his doctor's office, Mondek had a thought.

"As soon arsenic my doc came successful the country I said, 'Could a 9-year-old who's 70 pounds springiness america capable stem cells?' And helium conscionable looked astatine maine and smirked and said, 'He conscionable mightiness beryllium capable to,'" Mondek recalled.

His lad was a match.

"He truly was a brave young antheral who wanted to assistance his dada successful immoderate mode helium could," said Dr. Nicole Baca with Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's.

The process was much hard owed to Stephen's age. He was 9 years aged astatine the clip - 1 of the youngest ever to acquisition a stem compartment transplant. Yet, helium didn't hesitate.

The transplant was performed astatine Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's successful Los Angeles. It was a smashing success.

"Very grateful. He's my hero," Mondek said astir his son.

"It feels bully to bash that due to the fact that each my friends are arrogant of me," Stephen said.

Mondek sees his lad arsenic a superhero who saves the day. In this case, helium saved his dad.

"They got a cape connected and they're flying to idiosyncratic successful request who is successful a captious constituent successful their life," Mondek said. "And to spot that unfold successful beforehand of you, not conscionable immoderate person, but your 9 twelvemonth old, is incredible."

Because of the actions of his son, Mondek volition nary uncertainty person galore much years to stock successful cherished memories.