After 19 years of having his name in a bone marrow donation registry, Mike Reilly got the letter that would give him the chance to be a hero.

A boy named Jack Eppley, who had blood cancer and one failed marrow transplant already, needed help.

Jack was 12 when Be The Match, a national marrow donor program, paired him with Reilly, who agreed to donate peripheral blood stem cells in an attempt to give the boy from Columbus, Ohio, a healthy life.

Now, two years later, Jack is cancer free and spending the weekend exploring Boston with his parents and Reilly, 40, of Medford, whom he met for the first time Friday afternoon outside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near Copley Square.

“It was pretty awesome,’’ Jack said after hugging Reilly. “I’ve been wanting to meet him for a really long time. He saved my life, so this is a pretty awesome experience.’’

Jack pulled up to the hotel in a limo, just one of the amenities Reilly and some friends had arranged for Jack and his parents during their visit.

The teen smiled as he climbed out, unfazed by the flashing of several cameras and questions from reporters.

“I did say maybe one or two cameras, but this seems to be a lot,’’ Reilly told him.

But Jack waved off concerns, gushing about his excitement over meeting Reilly and his trip to Boston.

“I’ve been to Boston a couple of times before, but it was for hospital-related things,’’ he said, still beaming.

Jack’s dad, Craig Eppley, said he wasn’t surprised by his son’s sunny attitude. Jack is smiling even when he’s not meeting the man who saved his life, Craig said.

“This kid’s been through hell, but he smiles all the time,’’ he said.

Craig said he and his wife are also full of gratitude for Reilly and wish they could find an adequate way to show him their thanks.

“He’s really enjoyed setting this all up,’’ he said. “We should be bringing him in and hosting him, and he’s rolling out the red carpet for us, and we’re just so excited.’’

Craig was speaking literally. Reilly, a Boston Duck Tour boat conductor, convinced a friend of his at the hotel to roll out a red carpet when the Eppley family arrived.

Reilly is a father of two children, ages 9 and 11, but Jack is like one of his own, too.

“I view him as one of my family members,’’ Reilly said.

He didn’t hesitate when he got the letter saying he’d been selected as a donor. And he didn’t think twice during a seven-hour physical at Massachusetts General Hospital. He didn’t even consider the possibility of backing out when he was stuck with dozens of needles.

“I looked at all of that and said, ‘This kid has been in and out of hospitals from fourth grade to eighth grade, never went to school, and how many needles did he get?’ ’’ Reilly said. “The kid’s my hero.’’

Alyssa Meyers can be reached at alyssa.meyers@globe.com.