Park Ridge man creates superhero 'Captain Marrow' after bone marrow transplant saves his life

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (WLS) -- A bone marrow transplant saved his life, and now a young man is turning into a superhero in the hopes of inspiring others to give a selfless gift.

Jack Timperley has a lot to be thankful for. The 22-year-old was born with a rare genetic condition called Fanconi Anemia, a failure of the bone marrow. He spent his first years in and out of the hospital.

"After eight birth defects, and about four dozen surgical procedures requiring anesthesia, and then to get a bone marrow transplant on top of that... there was a lot at stake," Timperley said.

That bone marrow transplant when he was 3 years old saved Timperley's life. Although at one point, his family was told he would not survive to adulthood.

"I'm loving life. I'm taking advantage of every moment because we really don't know what our true life expectancy is," he said.

A few years ago, he met the stranger who donated her bone marrow and has launched his own crusade to get more people registered as bone marrow donors.

A fan of comic books, Timperley created Captain Marrow, a character he will embody as a full-time job.

Timperley has partnered with a Los Angeles company to create the costume and will travel to comicons and other places across the country to spread the word about bone marrow donation.

"Just a simple anesthesia procedure. They get it from your hip and you're out and done," he said.

Timperley will officially debut Captain Marrow in the fall. There's also comic books and apparel in the works.

He's hoping to fund this venture with a Kickstarter campaign that starts Thursday.