BY PAMELA FAYERMAN, VANCOUVER SUNMARCH 30, 2010
The number of Chinese-Canadians registered as potential stem cell donors has risen 75 per cent after simultaneous one-day events in Vancouver and Toronto this past weekend.

“We made history. It was the largest one-day stem cell drive event we’ve ever had,” said Sue Smith, executive director of the Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network.

The drive, held Saturday at Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre, and in Toronto, saw a total of 4,025 people lined up to get the inside of their cheeks swabbed so cells containing DNA could be collected, typed and entered into a national registry.

Stem cell transplants are used to treat — and even cure — those suffering from blood cancers and other disorders involving benign or malignant conditions.

Chinese-Canadians make up only two per cent of the Canadian registry of unrelated stem cell donors while Caucasians make up 82 per cent. That means that it could be almost impossible to find a donor when a Chinese patient needs one since the best chance of finding a match is within a patient’s own ethnic group. First nations, South Asian and Southeast Asians are also poorly represented in the national and international registries.

Smith credited media coverage and volunteers in community groups for the success of the one-day campaign, which boosted the registry of Chinese donors by 75 per cent. In Vancouver, 1,900 individuals were registered during the event and in Toronto, 2,100 people were added. Said Madellina Lau, co-chair of the Vancouver event and mother of a woman who died last year from leukemia (before a stem cell transplant): “It is so heartwarming to see how much our fellow Chinese-Canadians care for Chinese patients searching for stem cell donors.”

Smith said the Vancouver turnout far exceeded expectations. And now the blood service hopes other ethnic community groups will match the success of Chinese organizations. “We’re working on partnerships with other community groups like South Asians for Life, the Health Association of African Canadians, Aboriginal Nurses of Canada, Filipino and many other ethnocultures,” she said.

Dr. Clay Smith, director of the Leukemia/ Bone Marrow Transplant program of British Columbia and chair of the Tumour Group Council of the BC Cancer Agency, said all the efforts are critically important to patients.

“Frankly, there is a need for representation for all ethnic groups other than those who are descended from European background where donor representation is now pretty good.” There are more than 14 million registered adult volunteer donors in [about] 69 donor registries around the world.

pfayerman@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

“Stem cell match saved life: Man.  Vancouver native pushing campaign for Chinese donors“
- metronews.ca

REGISTER NOW.  SPREAD THE WORD!

Event leaflet is downloadable here - 327 Flyer.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Patrick

http://www.omnibc.ca/news/webstories.php?language=5&id=2336

I am so so proud of my Mama.  Truly an inspiration to us all.

Patrick (Son of Madellina, Brother of Carolyn)

Jenny has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia, and she needs a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Below is her appeal letter sent out by herself via email.

Please help SPREAD THE WORD, and REGISTER NOW.

Sincerely,

Patrick

———-

“ My name is Jenny Wilkinson and I am a member of Wirral Council’s Accountancy Finance Team.  I have been diagnosed with Leukaemia and the treatment to help save my life is a Bone Marrow Transplant.

Due to my Chinese background, I was shocked to find out the odds of finding a suitable donor worldwide is 1 in 100,000.

If you are interested or you may know of anyone who maybe interested in being a donor; have parents who are both Chinese in origin and is age 18-40 or 18-49 if you are a blood donor, please call the Anthony Nolan Trust on 0303 303 0303, or visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk. Donating is a simple procedure and does not require surgery.

There will also be a Bone Marrow Awareness Event on Saturday 6 February 2010 at West Kirby Concourse from 9.30am-4pm. A mouth swab will replace the simple blood test for assessment.

Please could you forward this email to anyone you know that would be interested in helping.

Thank you for all your help.

Jenny”

【專案組張美琪報道】兩歲女童梁芊柔，患上罕見的急性「再生障礙性貧血」，骨髓無法製造血小板、白血球和紅血球，要靠藥物治療續命，若情況未有好轉便須進行骨髓移植。芊柔病情反覆，父母透過網誌發出愛的呼喚，冀盼無私者捐出合適骨髓，燃點起女兒生命。(more)

Please visit her fundraiser website:
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=671781

Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154675097467#/group.php?gid=94118891034

She is really proud to be part of the Nike Woman Marathon and to have a chance to make a difference.

She is also hosting a coming event on Sept 5th, its a club night at Aubar, so if you know anyone that is interested, please let her know!

Helen Lam
+1.778 889 6084
helenlam33@gmail.com

Thanks.
Patrick