MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- At Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, a heartwarming moment for a local veteran. 

Back in late 2024, Henry Douglas, a Marine Corps veteran from Oak Creek, was diagnosed with cancer. 

After months of treatment, he learned that he would need a stem cell transplant, and that's where 32-year-old Ethan Massen comes in. 

Massen had signed up to be a bone marrow donor 10 years prior, and when he got the call that he was a match four Douglas, he didn't hesitate to help out. 

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the pair met in person for the very first time. 

"I guess I'm just happy to be here, happy to see that Henry is doing good. The transplant worked, it's doing its job, obviously that's the whole goal," said Massen. 

"I wanted to shake...the hand of the man who prolonged by life," said Douglas. "He saved my life really; my wife told him I was two steps from death when I showed up at the hospital."

CBS 58

The donor registry is a worldwide database and it's very uncommon for donors and recipients to live in the same state, or even the same country. 

However, Douglas and Massen found out they live just miles away from each other -- with Massen in Wauwatosa and Douglas a longtime resident of Oak Creek. 

If you're interested in becoming a potential donor, CLICK HERE.