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Stem cell donation leads to a football friendship

Imogen Lee
News imageDavid Nichols A man with black hair and a black shirt stands next to a taller man who has his arm around his shoulder. The man on the right is wearing a red shirt and a Bayern Munich scarf. They are standing in a football stadium. David Nichols
Tobias Killie (Left) and David Nichols (right) watching Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena

A man who recovered from blood cancer has become friends with the stem cell donor who helped to save his life.

David Nichols, 49, was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in 2020 while living in New York. He had visited his doctor with "bad headaches and migraines" that didn't go away and he also had high blood pressure.

On Saturday, the Norwich City Football Club supporter watched his team's latest game with Tobias Killie, 39, from Germany – the man who helped him recover his health.

Nichols said that when they met for the first time at the start of 2026, "it was very strange, like we already knew each other.. we say now that we're like family."

News imageChris Goreham/BBC Two men stand next to each other. The one on the left has black short hair and is wearing black rain jacket on with a white logo on the top right of it. The man on the right is wearing a yellow and green Norwich City Football Club T-shirt. He is also wearing the club scarf. He has short light blond hair and a blond beard. Both the men are smiling at the camera. The man on the left has a closed smile while the man on the right is showing his teeth. Behind them is a bright yellow canopy, which they are standing under. Chris Goreham/BBC
Tobias Killie (left) and David Nichols (right) at the Norwich City game on Saturday, raising awareness of the importance of being on the stem cell register

Nichols said during his diagnosis, doctors made it clear that he would need treatment straight away, which would involve a stem cell transplant using cells from a donor.

According to the NHS, a stem cell or bone marrow transplant involves replacing damaged blood cells with healthy ones.

Nichols moved back to Norfolk in 2022 and in 2025 decided to contact his donor, who until that time remained anonymous.

Nichols said: "Until that point I wasn't ready in my head and five years post-treatment is a major milestone."

He added: "It feels like I can start re-building my life now."

News imageChris Goreham/BBC A man who works for a blood cancer charity is wearing a red T-shirt and is standing on the left of the image. On the right is a mascot of a canary with an orange beak, big green eyes and dark eyebrows. It is wearing a yellow and green Norwich City Football Club T-shirt. The mascot is holding a long cotton swab in its hand. Chris Goreham/BBC
Liam Christopher from DKMS charity and Captain Canary with an example of what a cotton swab looks like

To get in touch with a donor, both parties have to consent to being contacted.

Nichols said he wrote to Killie just before Christmas in 2025 and the first message he received back was from his wife, who said Killie was "overwhelmed", and that she wanted to arrange a trip for the two of them to meet as a Christmas present in the UK.

The pair bonded over football, with Nichols being a big Norwich City fan and Killie being a Bayern Munich season ticket holder. Their first activity together was a football game.

A spokesperson for DKMS UK, a charity that helps patients with blood cancer or blood related disorders said: "What a lovely story to have resulted from Tobias joining the stem cell donor register, which involves doing some painless mouth swabs that take just minutes."

They added: "David is the living proof that stem cell transplants offer second chances at life."

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The charity said that anyone aged 16-55 and in general good health can join the register with DKMS by completing some painless mouth swabs and answering a few health questions.

Nichols will be at The Forum in Norwich on Tuesday, from 11am to 6pm, raising awareness of being a stem cell donor.

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