The family of a six-year-old boy suffering from leukemia is holding a bone marrow drive in Richmond on Tuesday in the hopes of finding a donor.
Joshua Weekes was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia in February.
Family and friends of Weekes have joined forces with Canadian Blood Services to hold a donor drive at Richmond’s St. Joseph the Worker Church on Williams Road from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Registrants will receive a cheek swab to see if they are a genetic match for Weekes.
Weekes’ ethnic background is diverse — English, Icelandic, Caribbean and Filipino.
“The optimal donor matches a patient’s ethnic background because it is a genetic match they’re looking for,” Trudi Goels of Canadian Blood Services told Global News last month.
“So we are looking at their genetic makeup. It’s why we need people to get registered because we capture cells from the inside of their cheek and analyze them.”
Those who can’t attend Tuesday’s drive can learn more about the donation process at blood.ca.
– With files from Amy Judd
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