Arlington High Goalie Donates Stem Cells to Dying Father

In case you missed it, the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont wrote a moving feature on Arlington High hockey goalie Mike Schiller for Sunday’s paper.

Schiller, a senior, donated stem cells to save his father’s life last April. His father, Craig Schiller, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in November 2012 at age 56.

From the piece:

“At one point, I sent him a text,’’ recalled the elder Schiller, thinking back to when Mike required a shot a day for nearly a week to gin up his own stem cell count ahead of the procedure. “I wrote, ‘You know, we don’t get a lot of time to talk seriously . . . but just know that I love you and that I’m proud of you.’ ’’

Craig Schiller hit “send.” And he waited. He waited a little longer.

No return text. OMG.

“Nothing,’’ he said. “I wondered if he didn’t know how to react, or . . . ’’

Turned out, Mike was driving. He needed to shut off the car.

“Finally, he wrote back, ‘17 years ago you gave me life,’ ’’ recited Craig Schiller as he sat with a Globe reporter last week, ‘ “I think it’s only fair that I return the favor.’ That’s my son . . . that’s a while ago now, and I still tear up.’’

Schiller and the No. 2 Spy Ponders will face No. 3 Wilmington at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the Chelmsford Forum in the semifinals of the North Division 1 bracket.

Read Kevin Paul Dupont's full story in the Boston Globe >>