Bay Area firefighter donates bone marrow to help leukemia patient

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- A Bay Area firefighter is making a difference in his community in more ways than one.

Daniel Andrade, a recent Contra Costa County Fire Academy graduate, donated his bone marrow on Monday to help a patient diagnosed with leukemia.

Andrade found out he was a match after he and 14 other fire academy recruits signed up for the Be the Match bone marrow registry.

According to the National Bone Marrow Program, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer every three minutes and only about 1 in 540 is a match.

The United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County says Andrade took time off from work to undergo the procedure, and his coworkers stepped up to cover his shifts while he's gone.

Click here to learn more about how to become a donor.