_MMC02TCA_848x480_837139523831.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
WINNIPEG — A Brandon, Manitoba family is desperately trying to find someone to save the life of their 13-month-old son before time runs out.
Tegveer Minhas was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in October. On Christmas day it will be two months since he has been living in the hospital, battling cancer.
His family and the Canadian Blood Services stem cell bank haven’t yet been able to find a stem cell match.
So, his family decided to host a stem cell match clinic at the Sikh Society of Manitoba, Sunday.
“We want him to survive and the only…cure he has are stem cells or bone marrow,” said Tegveer’s Dad, Sukhbir Minhas.
Friends, family, and even strangers who had just heard about the little boy or about the donation clinic, stopped by throughout the day Sunday in hopes of helping save Tegveer or another person’s life around the world.
“In Canada alone we have over a thousand people looking for a match at any given time,” said Robyn Henwood, with Canadian Blood Services.
The swab event saw hundreds of friends, family members, and strangers coming by to spend less than 10 minutes to get swabbed, in hopes of helping.
One attendee said he just wanted to help and see if he could be a good match to help save the little one’s life, even though he didn’t know the family.
Canadian Blood Services said there are currently only around 17,000 people in the stem cell donor database worldwide.
Robyn Henwood with Canadian Blood Services said anyone from 17-35 years old can be tested to see if they can donate stem cells or bone marrow and for anyone above that age, you can still donate blood, which is also desperately needed.
For the Minhas family, it’s a desperate plea to the world to help them spend Christmas with their little boy.
“I want him to crawl to the tree,” said Sukhbir Minhas.
Comments