Westfield Principal Died After Bone Marrow Donation, Coma: Report

WESTFIELD, NJ - Educator, Afghanistan veteran and Westfield High School Principal Derrick Nelson's died on Sunday after donating bone marrow to a teenager in France, according to a report from NJ Advance Media.

In the report, Derrick Nelson's father, 81-year-old Willie Nelson, said his son couldn't speak after the February procedure he underwent to provide bone marrow to a sick 14-year-old overseas.

"His eyes were open and he realized who we were. But he couldn't move. He never spoke again," Willie Nelson told the publication. He also noted that, during the month-long coma, his wife, Juanita; Derrick's fiancee, Sheronda; and Derrick's 6-year-old daughter kept vigil at his room at Hackensack University Hospital.

It's not clear what exactly led to Derrick Nelson’s death. The Mayo Clinic says bone marrow extractions are generally safe procedures. Complications are rare but can include:

• Excessive bleeding, particularly in people with low numbers of a certain type of blood cell (platelets)
• Infection, especially in people with weakened immune systems
• Long-lasting discomfort at the biopsy site
• Penetration of the breastbone (sternum) during sternal aspirations, which can cause heart or lung problems

In a recent edition of the Westfield High School newspaper the Hi's Eye, Natalie Becker detailed the origin of Nelson's donation: a 1996 blood drive he participated in. Decades later, the organization Be The Match matched Nelson with the teenager in France who needed assistance.

But there was a complication that Derrick Nelson attributed to his time in military: sleep apnea. Due to his sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where a person intermittently stops breathing during the night, the doctor's opted to take the donation via intravenous transplant using an IV in each arm.

“[The doctors] take the blood out of one arm, send that blood to the centrifuge where they separate the plasma from the stem cell, then put the blood back in my arm through the other IV,” Nelson told the school paper.

That plan was ultimately scrapped when Nelson said he had sickle cell trait in his blood. The marrow was ultimately extracted under local anesthesia.

Nelson said in the report it was worth the pain of the procedure. "If it’s just a little bit of pain for a little bit of time that can give someone years of joy, it’s all worth it,” Nelson said.

In the time since the news of his passing rolled through the community, mourners took to social media to lament the loss of Nelson as well as laud him for his service to his community, his colleagues, his students and his country as he served in Afghanistan.

"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," Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle said, noting that she and her family were "devastated" by the news. "He was a man of immense character and kindness, and his legacy will live on in the generations of students whose lives he touched."

According to Westfield Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan, Nelson passed on Sunday night. She sent a letter out to the community on Monday.

"It is with profound sadness and great difficulty that I announce Westfield High School principal Dr. Derrick Nelson died last night," Dolan said. "Dr. Nelson touched us all with his kindness, compassion, integrity, and endlessly positive attitude. We hold him and his family in our hearts as we grieve this loss together and I know you join me in granting his family the privacy they have requested."

Nelson was appointed as Westfield High School Principal Feb. 7, 2017 in a unanimous vote by the Westfield Board of Education. Nelson had been serving as Acting Principal of Westfield High School since August 2016 and held the position of Assistant Principal at the school since July 2012. He began his administrative role in the Westfield Public Schools as Assistant Principal of Roosevelt Intermediate School in 2010.

On Westfield Patch's Facebook wall, mourners shared their remembrances of him.

"I can’t believe he is gone- way too soon! As a VP at Roosevelt Intermediate School he was a respected, dedicated and caring administrator- yet approachable and kind," Sharon Dorry said. "I will truly miss his big warm smile, deep laugh and his genuine humility."
Gayle Sondra posted her heart was breaking for Nelson's family and everyone who knew him.
"There are no words," she said.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Westfield New Jersey posted to Facebook that they were deeply saddened by Nelson's death.

"Dr. Nelson became known to us when he participated as a panelist in our Community Discussion on Race. His forthright honesty and clear understanding of issues affecting the community was a breath of fresh air," the tribute said. "Throughout his time as Principal, Dr. Nelson was open to new ideas that could serve students well and was a dedicated leader with enthusiasm, integrity, and innovation."

Even those who met Nelson only a few times were touched by his presence. Gregory Gorski commented on the Westfield Patch that he encountered him when he went back to visit Westfield High School.

"He was a wonderful caring gentleman and had a deep commitment to the students and staff," Gorski said. "Very sad news and my prayers and sincere condolences to his family and the Westfield school community."

Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi Doug Sagal was quick to post a message about Nelson in the wake of his death, calling it both tragic and untimely.

"Dr. Nelson was a great friend to the Temple Emanu-El community and most recently stood with us during our vigil after Pittsburgh," Sagal said. "In addition to being an outstanding educator, Dr. Nelson proudly served our nation in uniform and continued to serve on active reserve."
Indeed, Nelson was a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army Reserves for more than two decades. He was deployed with the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command to Afghanistan during the summer of 2013.

In an article comment on Westfield Patch, Warren Chen noted that Nelson was the Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) with the 411th Chemical Company in Edison after he was sergeant first class and drill sergeant with the 3-385th Regiment.

"I should know, because we served together in the unit," Chen said. "RIP, Derrick."

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your
local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.