April Stevens , WZZM 4:52 PM. EDT May 04, 2017

Nick Keizer during the donation process. He donated stem cells on his birthday, May 2, to a man in Denmark. (Photo: Courtesy of GVSU)

ALLENDALE, MICH. - A Grand Valley State University football player celebrated his birthday doing something utterly selfless -- donating stem cells to man in Denmark.

The Laker football tight end, Nick Keizer, and many of his teammates swabbed their cheeks a Michigan Blood registry drive in March 2016. At the time, Keizer said he never thought he would be a bone marrow match for someone.

"The presentation pulled at my heart and I thought, 'Why not sign up to be a donor?' Yet I also thought the odds of me actually being a match can't be that high," he said.

Being a bone marrow match is quite rare -- about a 1 in 500 chance, according to Caitlin Gallagher, community engagement representation for Michigan Blood and Be the Match.

Michigan Blood was notified in December that Keizer and the Denmark man were potential matches. Keizer was required to undergo more blood work and in February, was deemed a perfect match for a 59-year-old man in Denmark who suffered from a bone marrow disease.

Keizer's non-surgical donation took about four hours, and although he's "not a big needle guy" he went through with it all, "because, that doesn't compare to what the patient is going through."

His stem cells were sent by a volunteer courierwho flew to Denmark on May 2, Keizer's birthday.

Keizer is a Portage native, he graduate from Grand Valley on April 28 with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance. Keizer is eligible to play one more season of football, and will finish his athletic career in the fall while pursuing a master's degree in business administration.

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