A pilot raced through the airport to surprise an old friend: the woman who saved his life

When Allie Reimold boarded Flight 2223 in Houston a week ago, she didn’t expect to see him. It had been four years since they’d last visited in person. And eight years, almost exactly, since the budding scientist – on the darkest day of the year – had given the commercial airline pilot a gift that would link the two for life.

When Allie Reimold boarded Flight 2223 in Houston a week ago, she didn’t expect to see him.

It had been four years since they’d last visited in person. And eight years, almost exactly, since the budding scientist – on the darkest day of the year – had given the commercial airline pilot a gift that would link the two for life.

Back then, United Airlines Capt. David Whitson had been facing a devastating diagnosis: acute myeloid leukemia. Healthy blood could bring the husband and father back from the brink. But even his brother’s didn’t match closely enough.

That’s when Allie, who years earlier had opted into a bone marrow registry, got the call:

Would she help save a dying stranger?

Since then, Allie and David had met in person. They’d linked up on social media. And in gratitude for her priceless gift, David had added Allie to his United Airlines travel benefits so she “travels like my children or my family do,” the pilot told CNN.

That’s how David, who’d just piloted a flight from Dallas to Houston, got the ping: Allie was also in Houston, about to board outbound Flight 2223.