Valparaiso's football captain signs up to become bone marrow donor, matches with 5-year-old

Be the Match is a cause that means a lot to people, saving lives through the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.

It's an especially meaningful cause for Valparaiso's football coach and now one of his players as well.

"Mark has been a leader on our team since I got here last year as a junior. He was voted team captain again, voted team captain. This is his fourth year and he is a person that not just talks the game but also walks the walk," said coach Andy Waddle.

Mark Johnson stepped up when it mattered most. The Valparaiso senior defensive back signed up to be on the registry and when he got the call, he came through.

"I kind of had a lot of mixed feelings because I was actually about to go work an internship in Charlotte. I hadn't even gotten to the internship yet when I found out, and so I knew I was going to have to communicate with my supervisors and, you know, work around a lot of things. So I really had to just, you know, make a sacrifice," he said.

Mark may someday get to meet the person whose life he may be saving. For now, he does know this much. The patient in need is a five-year-old boy in Paris.

"I can't imagine being five years old and, you know, that being my life, being in the hospital. It's really special that I was able to, you know, bring some hope to their life or to his life," he said.

How Johnson originally got involved goes back to his head coach. Andy Waddle tries to get his entire team to sign up to be on the donor list every year. 

"The best people to get are young, healthy men. When you think about a football team, you have a 100+ young, healthy men," Waddle said.

And it's a cause that means a lot to him and his family. Seventeen years ago, his wife Kerry Jean needed a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

"We're telling the story of Mark and the hero story. But, you know, there's another side to this story. And that's the story of a family, you know, on the other side of the world, right? You know, just praying that a miracle would be sent their way. And we were on that side of it at that point in time," Waddle said. "My wife's brothers were not matches. She needed to go into the national bone-marrow registry. She had a perfect match on the registry. Luckily, that person was willing to give.

After her transplant, Kerry Jean remains 100% in remission. They have two children together, all because someone stepped up, as Mark has done.

"There are some people that, you know, run for cover and some people that run into the fight. And I think Mark is going to be the guy who, you know, runs into those moments where he's ready to lead, he's ready to pursue and chase greatness. So yeah, no surprise that he was willing to say yes," Waddle said.

It's up to the recipient and his family if they want to set up a meeting. 

Mark says he will remain on the registry for another year in case the young boy needs a boost.