A Burnaby high school has been targeted by Canadian Blood Services in a quest for stem cell donors for a six-year-old Richmond boy.
Joshua Weekes was recently diagnosed with leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant to save his life, according to a press release Tuesday.
Weekes is of Icelandic, British, Caribbean and Filipino descent, and there are no potential matches in his family, so his family and friends are encouraging eligible donors of diverse ancestry to register as potential stem cell donors and to donate blood, which is also a requirement as Weekes waits for a match.
Byrne Creek Community School was picked as a site for a stem-cell drive Wednesday because of the ethnic diversity of the school and surrounding neighbourhood.
“It’s an ethnically diverse school, which is really important for the stem-cell registry. Their school’s going to have an enormous impact,” Canadian Blood Services event coordinator Trudi Goels told the NOW. “Because it’s a community school it’s also open to the general public, so we are hoping to see more people from the surrounding community come in as well.”
Goels hopes to get more Burnaby schools on board for similar events in the future since getting people registered as potential donors with Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch stem cell and marrow network in high school is ideal.
“We’re getting them while they are young and healthy and most likely to be an optimal donor,” she said.
Prospective donors have to be between 17 and 35 to register but can be matched with a patient till age 60.
Canadian Blood Services will be at Byrne Creek (7777 18th St.) between 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (April 20).
Would-be donors will answer a few questions, fill out a questionnaire and provide a swab from the inside of their cheeks.
For more information about Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch stem cell and marrow network, visit www.blood.ca.
