WESTFIELD, N.J. — A New Jersey high school principal has died after slipping into a coma while donating bone marrow to a 14-year-old boy in France.
Family members told NJ.com that Westfield High School principal Derrick Nelson underwent the donation procedure at a hospital in February. They said the 44-year-old couldn't speak or move afterward, and remained in that condition until he died Sunday.
Nelson’s mother said her son went into cardiac arrest during the donation process and that doctors haven’t explained why.
Westfield Mayor Shelly Brindle posted a notice on the township's website and her Facebook page, announcing Nelson's death.
"My family was devastated to hear the news of the passing of Westfield High School principal Dr. Derrick Nelson," Brindle said in the post.
"This is a tremendous loss for our community, and I know that our children, and we as parents, will struggle with coming to terms with this over the coming days and weeks. He was a man of immense character and kindness, and his legacy will live on in the generations of students whose lives he touched," the post said.
Friends said Nelson, who had a 6-year-old daughter, didn’t know the French teen he was trying to help.
Nelson also served as an officer in the Army Reserve for more than 20 years and had recently re-enlisted. His military service included an assignment in the Middle East.
