Quinlan 4-year-old battling cancer set for bone marrow transplant on Valentine's Day

A Quinlan girl in need of a bone marrow transplant is getting ready for her life-saving surgery.

4-year-old Landrie Lay has been sick since she was a toddler.

Last November. Lay was diagnosed with MDS, a rare form of cancer that affects the bone marrow. Since then, her family had been desperately searching for a match for a transplant.

MORE: Quinlan 4-year-old battling cancer finds bone marrow match

Landrie's parents say they're overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they've received from folks since FOX4 first reported on her journey last month.

If all goes as planned, Landrie could get her bone marrow transplant on Valentine's Day.

Fitting, since the Lay's hearts are filled with love for a man they've never met.

For the next month, a hospital room at Children's Medical Center Dallas will be where Landrie calls home.

Thursday, doctor's put in a port so she could begin six days of chemotherapy -- part of the painstaking preparation process for the bone marrow transplant.

"They laid it out how she'll react. She'll lose her hair. She will get very sick. So you're excited, but you're also very scared," Landrie's mother, Lindsay Lay, said.

But parents Lindsay and Chris Lay are focused on the bright side.

Last month, after being sick for years, doctors found a bone marrow match for Landrie.

The selfless gift came from a man in Germany.

"It was a relief to know somebody, that doesn't even know her, is willing to do that and eager to do it," Landrie's parents said.

The bone marrow withdrawal will take place in Germany, then it will be flown to Dallas, where Carter BloodCare will process the red blood cells.

The final stop will be Landrie's hospital room.

"Then they'll bring it up in a little IV bag and it's game on," Landrie's mom said.

"We're looking at Valentine's, maybe the 13th. So nice Valentine's Day present," Landrie's dad said.

Once little Landrie is healthy, the couple's long term goal is to get more people to register to be bone marrow donors.

"To get the word out that it's not hard to get on a list and help someone halfway across the world like this guy has," Chris Lay said.

But for now, their focus is getting Landrie comfortable in her new space.

And in two years, if all goes well, Landrie and her parents would love to meet the man who helped save her life.

"I would love to shake his hand. She would love to hug his neck," Chris said.

"Oh, I cannot wait," Lindsay added.

Officials at Children's Health say they've found that people are more likely to get on the registry when they can do the simple cheek swab at home, as opposed to at a bone marrow drive.

You can text the word "Childrens" to 61474, and bethematch.org will send you a cheek swab kit by mail.

Click here for more information on how you can "Be The Match."