A stem cell donor met the man she saved for the first time after he made a 2,300-mile trip to say ‘thank you’.

Jackie Wray, 50, from Great Ayton, was ‘overwhelmed’ with emotion as she hugged her genetic ‘twin’ Siegfried ‘Siggi’ Wahl.

The 71-year-old grandfather travelled to the UK from his home in Hattersheim, Germany, to tell her she was his ‘angel’.

It marked the end of what Siggi described as a ‘fairytale’.

There had been stem cell match in his family after he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2016.

But he was unaware that Jackie had already joined the world wide register just months earlier, and was to save his life.

She could not be identfied as his donor for two years, but received anonymous letters from Siggi updating her on his progress.

Siegfried and Jackie

At their first meeting, there were hugs, and tears of joy.

“I loved receiving cards from Siggi,” said Jackie, a mum-of-two.

“It used to make me cry every time. I would think ‘thank God he’s still alive.’

“All I knew is that he had a son and daughter my age, and a grandson, and he used to play ice hockey when he was a young man. One of the reasons I was so excited to meet him was to hear his life story.”

Siggi and his wife made her a photo album, showing his recovery, and gave her an angel necklace which she will ‘treasure forever’

Jackie donated after seeing a TV appeal for a little girl.

“She was so gorgeous and my heart just went out to her,” she recalled. “I later discovered that she didn’t find her match, but she helped so many find theirs.”

Of their first meeting, Siggi said: “It was beautiful. We both cried. It was like a fairy tale.” 

His family had been told he might not make it, but he added: “Drop by drop, Jackie’s blood stem cells gave me my life back”.

Siegfried Wahi, left, with his wife and Jackie, centre

Jackie, who runs wedding venue Whinstone View, signed up with donor charity DKMS.

Only 2% of the UK population are registered as potential blood stem cell donors. But someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every 20 minutes.

“What if it were you?,” added Jackie.

“You should be on that register. Because it might be you, or someone you love, one day.”

If you are aged 17-55 and in general good health, go to www.dkms.org.uk to become a potential lifesaver.