UofL nurse inspired to donate stem cells following patient’s plea | News from WDRB [Video]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Billy Klein was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer, four years ago.

He hoped Kentuckiana would help by signing up to be a bone marrow donor.

His efforts have since helped save another life.

As a nurse, Taylor Alvey is trained and accustomed to being on her feet helping people. What she’s not accustomed to is being the one in the chair.

July 2023, she was gathered around the nurse’s station watching our story about a patient on the floor. Billy Klein wasn’t her patient but his story inspired her and other UofL nurses to sign up for the bone marrow donation registry.

“I was working and I got an email. I did not believe it at first,” Taylor said. “I was like, am I reading this right?”

Taylor was a match. Not for Billy, but for another patient in Texas.

“Never in a million years did I think this would happen,” Taylor said.