A donation of bone marrow took on a whole new meaning.

On May 4, University of Iowa senior Matthew DeBlaey met the man whose life he saved by donating marrow earlier in the year.

Through the student-run organization Be the Match On Campus-UI, DeBlaey had decided to register to donate bone marrow during the 2014 Dance Marathon. Four months later, DeBlaey was matched with a recipient.

The recipient, Joe Stach, was a former member of the Navy before he was forced to retire because of his battle with cancer. With his wife, April Williamson-Stach, and their 8-year-old son, Andrew, his family traveled from Washington state to meet DeBlaey during the UI Hawkeye Leadership and Service Awards Program in the IMU.

It wasn’t too long ago, Stach said, he wasn’t sure how much longer he had to live.

“I really didn’t know what would happen,” he said. “Basically, the doctor said I had three years to find a match.”

Luckily, a match was found for the former middle-school teacher through the student organization.

“When I got the call to donate, I was very surprised,” DeBlaey said. “But I was very excited to help someone out. I told them, ‘I’d do whatever you need for me to help someone in need.’ ”

After battling cancer for a second time, Stach said he was very grateful for the lifesaving donation DeBlaey made.

“The donor means everything,” he said. “I mean without the donor I wouldn’t be here. Pure and simple.”

With tears flowing, DeBlaey expressed his emotion to the crowd after finally meeting his recipient.

“This means the world to me,” he said. “I’m very happy I was part of this. Just getting support from family and friends means the world to me. If I have the chance to donate again, I definitely will.”

Julee Darner, the donor-services coordinator at the UI Marrow Donor Program, said she understands how lucky the Stach family is.

“Many times lives are saved, but many times they are not,” she said. “But every time the donor delivers the powerful gift of knowing that everything that could be done was done.”

Although his donation saved a life, DeBlaey said he doesn’t want to take all the credit for keeping Stach alive.

“I like to think of this as he is going to get through this and I’m just helping him,” he said. “I’m just giving him a little push.”

Williamson-Stach said she was thankful for the gift that her husband received, but she knows he was among many others in need of a donation.

“It was a selfless gift that he gave us,” she said. “This is our story, but there are more stories to be told.”