Christopher Workman, an 11-year-old Scout, faced his fears to help his brother, Matthew.

Matthew was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening disease, Severe Aplastic Anemia. When Christopher found out there was a way he could help his brother, he pushed through his fear of needles to help.

“It was very important for me to do this so my brother would have the best chance for a cure. He is my best buddy and I was very sad to see him so sick,” said Christopher. 

The best treatment for Severe Aplastic Anemia is a bone marrow transplant from a matched donor, and Christopher was a 10/10 match for Matthew. 

“We really didn’t have to explain to Christopher the importance of helping. While he was scared of the procedure and needles, he didn’t hesitate to help save his brother,” said the boys’ parents.

Because of his brother’s bone marrow donation, Matthew is “doing remarkable and has remained positive during this journey.” He is being removed from his medications and is planning to return to school in-person this fall. 

Christopher was recently awarded the Heroism Award by the National Court of Honor. This award honors youth members or adults who demonstrate heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life at minimal personal risk. 

According to Christopher’s parents, Scouting has helped Christopher value relationships with others, particularly his brother. And despite being nervous and scared, Christopher did what was going to save Matthew’s life. 

“We are very proud to be both of the boys’ parents. They both went through such a challenging time and rose above it showing us how very strong they both are.” 

“My brother deserves this award because not very many 10-year olds have the opportunity to save their brother’s life and mine did.”