The desperate search for a bone marrow match for an Ontario woman reached B.C. this weekend.
Twenty-four-year-old Moneet Mann was diagnosed with leukemia last fall and has launched a campaign to find a stem cell donor.
Her supporters held a swabbing event at a Surrey temple Sunday in hopes of finding a match in the South Asian community here, while also trying to boost the number of registered donors among visible minorities.
Good Samaritans were eager to sign up to be stem cell donors in hopes of becoming a match. The simple process involves a health questionnaire and a cheek swab.
The cross-country campaign highlights the need for stem cell donors in Canada’s diverse ethnic communities.
Fewer than three out of 10 on the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network registry are non-Caucasians.
For those who are waiting, this means a match could take months, or worse, not come in time.
To sign up as a stem cell donor, you must be between 17 and 35 years old and meet certain health criteria. Right now, there is a special need for ethnic males.
A person’s best chance of finding a matching donor is within his or her own ethnic group.
For more information visit Moneet Mann’s Facebook page.
To register as a donor visit the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network’s website.
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