A press conference is held on Thursday, April 11 at 1 pm on《National Stem Cell Drive Campaign – 4th Wave – Desperate Patients of Mixed Ethnicity》, to introduce a new theme “Desperate Patients of Mixed Ethnicity”, details for the stem cell donor registration drive events for April, and the latest progress in stem cell drive and related stem cell medical development.
A Joint National Stem Cell Drive Campaign Marathon has started with the cooperation of community and religious organizations in ten cities in Canada. The Campaign aims to assist the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in promoting and conducting registration of potential adult stem cell donors to save patients who desperately need stem cell transplant to survive.
In Canada, about a thousand cancer patients were not cured even after chemotherapy, the only hope for survival is a matching stem cell transplant. However, suitable stem cells have not yet been found for them, and they are desperate and are in urgent need of finding a match for stem cells and stem cell transplant! One more registration may mean a new life for a patient. Young people from 17 to 35 years old who are Canadian citizens/residents with valid provincial health insurance are encouraged to get registered. Even if you aren’t a compatible match for one patient, you may be able to save the life of someone else in need. If you are or are not within that age range, you may also want donate blood or cord blood stem cells, which are also critical for saving lives. Cord blood collection begins after the safe arrival of a healthy baby. The process is safe, painless, poses minimal risk to the mother and baby. Please visit the Canadian Blood Services website for registration or details: blood.ca
The Campaign network has been working with other organizations and volunteers in twelve cities in Canada on the stem cell drive promotion and registration. The network promoted patient organized stem cell drives in the Western Canadian cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon late last year; the network promoted the drives held in York University, Brock University and Guelph University student drives in January, held stem cell drives in St. Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church and Toronto Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church parishes in February.
Now we are having drive events in the Christian ‘105 Gibson Centre’ later this month of April. A number of community and religious organizations are now working together to assist the Canadian Blood Services by organizing the “National Stem Cell Drive Campaign Marathon “. Based on the spirit of saving lives without boundaries, Dr. Joseph Wong, Yee Hong Centre and the Little Lisa Foundation are collaborating with representatives and volunteers of Vision Youth, 105 Gibson Centre (Christian), Across U Hub, Chinese Professionals Association of Canada, Buddhist Tzu Chi Canada, Sunshine Club, Toronto Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church, St. Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, other organizations and the Toronto Chinese Catholic Task-force (convener) (In no specific order) will be holding a series of stem cell donors registration drives in this month of April as follows:
April 13 (4 pm – 9:30 pm);
14 (1 pm – 7 pm)
27 (4 pm – 9:30 pm)
28 (1 pm – 7 pm)
The venue for the above is: 105 Gibson Centre, 105 Gibson Drive, Markham, ON L3R 3K7 (Warden Ave/ Steeles Ave. E.)
This month’s the network would highlight the very urgent needs of patients of mixed ethnicity for matching stem cells.
This urgent need crosses geopolitical borders. Bi-racial patients like Jeremy Chow in Vancouver and Jo Mitchell in Oakland, New Zealand are facing even more difficulties in finding matching stem cells. It is already difficulty for mono-ethnic patients to get a match, and it is much more difficult for non-Caucasians like the Filipino or Chinese patients, but it is even more difficult for patients of mixed-ethnicity. This on the one-hand is due to genetic complexity, and on the other hand the number of registration of the potential stem cell donors. Here are a few more individuals awaiting a match.
Jeremy Chow, a young man with wife and two little children, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukiemia. Jo Mitchell, a young mother with a year old baby, has now her relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after remission. Both Jeremy and Jo are of mixed ethnicity. After searches of 32 million people on the global stem cell register, and for Jo after the New Zealand Prime Minster appealed for her, there is still no match for both of them.
For Jo and Jeremy, they know that the best match is some donors who share the same bi-racial backgrounds as themselves. However, in Canada, only 3% of the Canadian Blood Services Stem cell Registry is made up of people of mixed ethnicity, and in New Zealand, like Jo describes, it is also like “finding a needle in a haystack.”
It is not easy for Martin Lintag of Filipino origin and Malinda of Chinese origin either. Over 70 % of patients who need a stem cell or bone marrow transplant cannot find a match in their family and require an unrelated donor to proceed with treatment. There is a need for more ethnically diverse stem cell donors. The Canadian Blood Services registration record shows it’s about 69 per cent Caucasian, it makes it easier to find a match. But if you’re anybody else, you can have a much harder time finding a match.
Martin was diagnosed with two rare blood cancers: acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. The once-healthy and active 30-year-old is now fighting for his life. His doctors say Martin needs to find a compatible stem cell donor. Unable to leave home, He says his condition is worsening, “My body has basically broken down while waiting for a match.” Having already suffered the loss of their youngest son in 2009, Martin’s family is praying a match will be found. Martin, who is Filipino, faces an uphill battle: the adult stem cell donor database is only 0.85 per cent Filipino.
Melinda in Edmonton is 17 years old, in her final year in high school. Unfortunately, Melinda was diagnosed with Acute Myleoid Leukemia (AML) at the beginning of this September. Melinda is now under chemotherapy but would end by this December. Her family was informed that she needed a stem cell transplant on Oct 23, 2018. Since then, no match has been found from One Match (Canadian Blood Services) nor the world global register. Because of the time pressing, Melinda’s mom donated her not-so-matching stem cells and Melinda has the transplant, but there is now side effect complication. A proper match is still in urgent need. Melinda has a Chinese heritage, and a Chinese or Asian donor would be preferred, though not exclusive.
Still there’s hope. Since our stem cell drive campaign from 2016, three of the patients, Gebbie Hou, Bille Ngyuen and Roshlind Mance, we helped appeal have found matching stem cells, have transplant done and are recovering! So please help give new life!
Saving lives without border, religious, ethnic nor geo-political, you can save Jeremy, Martin, Jo, Melinda or other desperate patients in the world. Please go to the stem cell drives, or to the Canadian Blood Services centres or website (https://blood.ca) and get registered. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GIVE LIFE!
Media contact:
Dr. Joseph Wong Eric Li Peter Chen
(416)806-0082 (416)473-9844 (416)858-2283