It Was An Emotional End

Although Lyle had no second thoughts about donating, his last meet was quite emotional knowing that it would also be his last. The bone marrow extraction was going to leave him weak, and unable to carry anything over 20 pounds, which would be impossible in his type of sport. But having his mom, his coach and his teammates rallying behind him was amazing support. And moreover, knowing that he was giving someone a chance at a better life was more than enough.

He Was A Complete Stranger

Remarkably, the patient that Lyle was going to donate to was a complete and total stranger. All Lyle knew was that the 28-year old had been diagnosed in 2012 just a few days before Christmas. He was also a father to a 19-month old girl, and he had a fiancée as well. While he shares that the information helped ‘solidify’ his decision, he also said, “I would have done it anyway. But knowing he is just starting his life, he has so much ahead of him, makes it worth it. It hits home because he is only a few years older than I am.”