Respected principal dies after donating bone marrow to unknown teen

WESTFIELD, New Jersey -- New Jersey High School principal, Dr. Derrick Nelson, is remembered by his students for dedicating his life to serving others.

Nelson fell into a coma earlier this year as he was donating bone marrow to a child that lived more than 3,600 miles away in France.

Although Dr. Nelson did not know the child, he felt compelled to help after being informed he was a donor match.

Dr. Nelson is survived by his parents, a 6-year-old daughter and his fiancée.

He is also survived by the thousands of young lives that he helped nurture.

"Even if you never even spoke a word with him, his impact was felt the moment you walked in as a freshman or the moment you left as a senior," says student Adam Holtzman.