COEUR d'ALENE - New Year's Day provided a new beginning for Nancy Haag and Ben Teller.

Haag, the bone marrow donor who helped save Teller's life, met her recipient for the first time on Wednesday on a grand stage - the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

"I'm so relieved and thankful that he has been 100 percent cancer-free since April," said Haag, a 48-year-old Coeur d'Alene pre-school teacher and mother of six. "It was overwhelming."

When the two met before riding in the parade together on the City of Hope cancer center's float, both were overcome with emotion and Teller gave Haag a long, firm hug.

"Thank you a million times over," Teller, a 24-year-old who lives in the Los Angeles area, said to Haag during a TV interview before the parade. "You're the greatest person in the world. I'm really lucky to be here."

Haag said the two learned that they share a lot in common and that their families plan to stay in touch.

"I actually look like I could be his mother," Haag said. "We both have a servant's heart. He'd give the shirt off his back for people, and I'd do the same. We both follow the rules generally, but we're willing to break them if it includes having some fun."

Haag was speaking specifically about Teller hopping off the float to greet identified cancer survivors with trinkets after riders were asked not to leave the float during the parade.

Haag said the two also enjoy sports. Teller is a production assistant for Fox Sports 1.

"We're an identical match - both inside and out," Teller said to The Press on Thursday. "She reminds me of my mother. They've raised their kids on a lot of the same values. We're both relational people."

Haag's daughter, Jill, attends Azusa Pacific University near Los Angeles.

"I go down (to California) several times a year, so I know I'll see him again," Haag said. "We spent four and a half hours at dinner on Wednesday night and it felt like 15 minutes."

City of Hope funded the trip to Pasadena for Haag and her husband, Gene. Teller was joined by his family and the hospital staff who performed the transplant in October 2012.

Haag said that she and Teller plan to coordinate on future bone marrow donor drives, including at Azusa Pacific. Teller started a cancer awareness nonprofit when he was battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"We want to share our story together and tell people about how it's important to be in the registry," Teller said. "It can be a powerful story."

Haag was on the national bone marrow registry for 18 years before being matched with Teller.

"I never thought that there would be a match after this many years," she said. "I was shocked when they called and even then I didn't think that I'd be the match because there's several choices."

Donors and recipients aren't provided information about each other for a year after the transplant. The donors are simply given progress reports on how the recipient is doing.

Recipients are given the discretion about connecting with their donors after a year, so Haag was "thrilled" about Teller wanting to meet her.

"You're never quite sure if they want to have a relationship and I was willing to do whatever he was comfortable with," Haag said.

Teller said it was always his intention to meet Haag.

"I was super eager to meet her," he said. "I feared that she didn't want to meet me.

"I feel blessed that a wonderful person and family have been brought into my life. She saved my life. I look forward to finding out what else we have in common."

Teller said that, prior to the parade, the only thing he knew about Haag was that she was a woman. He wanted meeting her to be a total surprise.

"I didn't even look her up on social media," he said.

Teller said there was an immediate connection with Haag.

"I felt like I was hugging a friend that I've had for 20 years," he said. "It was very emotional for both of us. She's now part of my family."

Haag said meeting Teller was an amazing way to usher in a new year.

"I don't think there's too many new years that will top this," she said.