University of Minnesota-Duluth basketball player gives life-saving stem cell donation

(ABC 6 News) — A University of Minnesota-Duluth is being credited for helping save someone’s life.

Last spring, Owen Leach just happened to sign up for a school campaign calling for donors. They took a cheek swab and sent it off to the lab.

Then in October, Leach got an email saying he matched with a patient in need, and earlier this month, he flew to Phoenix to donate stem cells in order to save that person.

The team says the recipient was a 67-year-old cancer patient who now has an 80-90% chance of a full recovery thanks to the donation.