El Monte police officer's daughter finds bone marrow match in Poland
Teen finds bone marrow match in Poland
Stella’s family announced in August 2026 that a bone marrow match had been found in Poland and that she had begun preconditioning for the transplant.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - An El Monte police sergeant’s daughter has found a lifesaving bone marrow match after a months-long search that drew hundreds of supporters across Southern California.
The backstory:
Back in July 2026, hundreds across Southern California showed up in support of Stella Valle, 17, and her fight against a life-threatening bone marrow disorder.
The El Monte Police Officers Foundation, along with the Valle family and others, hosted a drive and fundraiser to help Stella and others living with the rare disorder.
"I started to have a lot of dizziness, fatigue, and I was getting tired during my softball and flag football workouts," Stella said in July.
![El Monte police sergeant seeks bone marrow donor to save daughter's life [PREV. COVERAGE]](https://static-media.fox.com/fmcv3/prod/fts/ufrdiv5ss58kfxfg/quf3fmxxysa821fb.jpg)
El Monte police sergeant seeks bone marrow donor to save daughter's life [PREV. COVERAGE]
An El Monte police sergeant is seeking a bone marrow donor match for his daughter, Stella, after her diagnosis with aplastic anemia. [PREVIOUS COVERAGE]
Stella was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare bone marrow failure disease that made it hard for her to even walk to and from class.
"Depending on how severe it is, there is only one cure, and it’s ultimately a bone marrow transplant, and that’s what I’m hoping for," Stella said in a July interview.
Her parents were determined to make that hope a reality with a call to the community.
"I’m seeing people here that I haven’t seen in 15, 20 years, and it’s just overwhelming support, amazing, especially with everything that we’re going through," Stella’s mother, Abigail Valle, said in July.
Hundreds of people packed the back lot of the El Monte Police Department for the fundraiser and donor drive last month. Her father, Sgt. Frankie Valle, helped organize the event in hopes of finding a lifesaving bone marrow match.
"We are looking for a match, a donor for her, and the National Marrow Donor Program is in conjunction with the Foundation. They have a tent set up where they’re doing swabs for testing," Frankie Valle said in a July FOX 11 interview.
"It breaks your heart, but at the end of the day, it’s really encouraging to see how many people came out to support," Ashley Ethridge, who attended the fundraiser and drive, said in July.
What we know:
In August 2026, Stella’s family shared promising news with the community: She found a match.
According to the family, her lifesaving match was found in Poland. Neither Stella nor the potential donor knew of each other before learning of the match.
"So basically, we are a Polish family now," Stella’s family playfully wrote in a joint statement to FOX 11.
The development marks a potential end to the months-long scramble to find a bone marrow match. Stella has begun the preconditioning phase leading up to her bone marrow transplant, according to her family.
Prior to the good news shared in August 2026, Stella said finding a 10-out-of-10 match was like winning the lottery. Those who got swabbed could also help save another life if they matched someone else in the registry looking for a donor.
"I’m hoping that they’re also a match for them and they have a chance not just to save me but to save another life and give somebody the cure," Stella said back in July.
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise funds to support Stella's health journey. Those looking to help can click here.