The Most Important Match

FB: Valparaiso captain donates bone marrow to stranger halfway across the world

Mark Johnson has been playing football for most of his life and has the scars to prove it.

Now, because of Johnson’s latest scars, a child on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean might have a chance to live a full life.

Johnson, a senior captain on Valparaiso’s football team, underwent surgery last month to donate bone marrow to a 5-year-old child from Paris, France.

“You hear donating bone marrow is rough, but honestly, it wasn’t bad at all,” Johnson said. “Basically they went in through two small areas in my low back and when I was done, it looked like I had two little bullet wounds on the back of my hip. It’s a small price to pay for the chance to make a difference.”

A small price to pay after even smaller odds led to Johnson being on the operating table.