Lifesaving campaign calls on post-secondary students to register
Georgian College in Barrie, Ont. (KC Colby/CTV News)
A stem cell transplant is often that patient's last hope of survival, which is why the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is stopping at campuses across the province to recruit young donors.
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CBS visited Georgian College in Barrie on Wednesday to hold a cheek swabbing event to find matches for the nearly 1,000 patients across the country waiting for a transplant.
"Post-secondary students have the power to change a patient's life because people ages 17 to 35 make the best lifesaving stem cell donors," CBS stated.
Patients who need a stem cell transplant have a higher chance of matching with a donor of the same ethnic ancestry.
Stem cell transplants can treat over 80 diseases and disorders, such as leukemia, lymphoma, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, and inherited immune system and metabolic disorders.
CBS says that when a registrant matches with a patient, the process is simple and "usually involves a process similar to blood donation."
The province-wide swabbing event started on Monday and runs until February 16.
Registration is available online, along with more information on the campaign.
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