Okeechobee Carrier Richard Pye is Life Saver in 'Be the Match' Campaign

The South Florida District’s Gift of Life Campaign which began with a visit to the Okeechobee Post Office in June 2010 has resulted in a match.  Letter Carrier Richard Pye, who has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 5 ½ years, registered for the “Be the Match Campaign.” Forty-five  other employees from this Post Office also registered. 

The Be the Match Foundation contacted Pye for testing in November 2011.  The results came back that he was a perfect match for a man who was battling leukemia.  Pye donated peripheral blood stem cells which involved a non-surgical, out-patient procedure.  

“I was very happy to help save a life," Pye said.

Coincidentally, the Okeechobee Post Office was chosen for the District’s kickoff campaign as a result of employees wanting to honor  co-worker Linda Ledford who had been battling leukemia for years.    Although no one from that day registry was a match, she did receive a transplant from a matched umbilical cord donation shortly after the kickoff event.

The chances of finding a match are 1 in 20,000.  We invite you to join the South Florida District’s Delivering the Gift of Life Campaign as we prepare to kick off this year’s campaign during the April's "National Marrow Donor Awareness Month."