NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We're still a few weeks away from Father's Day, but we have one powerful father-son story to share.
It's a win for dad Coltin Bell, getting his sons into the same stuff he loves. Coltin has his boys into doing jam sessions and reading Harry Potter. Remember A Goofy Movie? Coltin's got 15-year-old son Reace into that too. Dad must just like cool stuff.
"He's very cool, in fact," Reace nodded.
"Yeah! C'mon, man!" Coltin laughed.
"He's awesome!"
"Tell him I'm cool again!"
Quite often now, Coltin and Reace have taken the 210-mile trip from their home in Olive Branch, Mississippi to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Before these trips began, Coltin last year thought he had a summer sickness that just wouldn't go away. Then he got his diagnosis.
"I have acute myeloid leukemia," Coltin said. "When you really look into acute myeloid leukemia, it takes a lot of life."
"We do monthly bone marrow biopsies," he continued, speaking during a visit to Vanderbilt.
It was decided Coltin would need a stem cell transplant. He needed a donor.
"We're praying people," Coltin continued. "I was praying for my donor, y'know, but also praying for my family because this is a heavy weight on them."
The day came a donor was found.
"Are you nervous?" Coltin asked son Reace.
"I'm not nervous, really," he answered.
"Why?"
"Cause I'm here to save you."
Reace is going to be his dad's donor.
Reace will go through some injections to boost his stem cell count, with a transplant happening at Vanderbilt next month.
"I was a little nervous, but I was only nervous it wouldn't work," Reace said. "It's doing something I've never done, but hey, I'm happy about this."
"That's just a testament to who he is as a person," Coltin said. "It is literally going to save my life. It's what I have to do to live. He's just glad to do it which is really cool."
"I was pretty happy I got a chance to actually save him," Reace continued. "I feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do this."
Let's throw in one more of those moments Coltin loves for the road.
"Did I forget to tell you how awesome and great he is?" Reace said as they both laughed.
Coltin's been detailing his journey in a podcast. You can hear it here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
