Now, he's in training for the Olympics. Diagnosed with an aggresssive form of leukemia, doctors gave him little hope to survive. A bone marrow transplant would have taken time Justice didn't have. Cord blood comes from the umbilical cords of newborn babies.
Scientists believe the stem cells are so new and healthy in umbilical cords they can adapt.
The cord blood Justice received was only a 60 percent match. So, Justice took a chance. He's one of the oldest and largest people in the world to receive the few drops of cord blood needed for this transplant. Dr. Carl Lenarsky wasn't sure it would work. Five months after the transplant, Justice's platelet count is 98,000, which is the highest it's been for a while.