Donations have the power to make a difference
“Canada has a great opportunity to expand the number of donors from diverse backgrounds” says Dr. Tobias Berg in an interview with the Hamilton Health Sciences on one patient's pursuit to raise awareness in support of stem cell registries.
When people hear the word donation, oftentimes what comes to mind is a monetary contribution to support an effort. While donation can come in many forms including one’s time or the use of a facility or object, it can also include the giving of critical life-saving resources such as blood or stem cells.
This is where Your Match Matters comes in. Founded by Peter Clarke, a cancer patient from Dundas, Ontario who was diagnosed with a rare type of bone marrow cancer in 2022 and will eventually require a stem cell transplant, this non-profit organization was created to bring awareness to and promote the power of stem cell donation.
Your Match Matters’ primary goal is about taking action and encouraging people between the ages of 17-35 from all ethnicities to join the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry or another registry in their geographic region and to take action by registering to donate stem cells if they are identified as a match. The Canadian Stem Cell Registry is part of an international group of registries.
Getting on the Canadian registry is easy. All it requires is completing a 2-minute health questionnaire and creating an online account, then once you are registered, a simple 4-step buccal swab kit will be mailed out that is returned in a postage paid envelope, once completed. The process of being identified as a match can take months or years, so the Canadian Blood Services asks that your contact information be kept up-to-date.
Peter was not aware of the low numbers of people on the stem cell registry until he found himself needing one to save his life. As he heard stories of people desperately trying to find stem cell matches for their loved ones, he “couldn’t imagine the panic and helplessness they felt, and wanted to help change the odds.”
Dr. Berg says “a young matched unrelated donor can in some instances be an even better choice than an older related donor, so it’s extremely important to recruit young donors from diverse backgrounds.’
You can learn more about Peter Clark and his pledge for action by reading this article published by the Hamilton Health Sciences, “HHS Cancer Patient Launching ‘Your Match Matters’ to Find Young Stem Cell Donors” and by visiting the ‘Your Match Matters’ website. For more information on the Canadian Blood Services and their Stem Cell Registry, please visit their website.
General Interest