The Rotary Club of Nipissing, Nipissing University and Canadore College, in partnership with the Canadian Blood Services have announced the latest "Swab In" registration events for potential stem cell donors.
You need to be 17 to 35 years old. As well, ethnic diversity will help build a robust registry. The events are open to the public, and international students are most welcome.
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community can join the registry and donate. "You won’t be asked about your sexual orientation when registering because it doesn’t factor into choosing the best possible match for a patient," according to a news release.
This year, with the additional support of the Canadore Students’ Council (CSC) and Nipissing University Students’ Union (NUSU), we hope to register 300 students, faculty and staff as donors surpassing the 166 registered in March 2023.
"A great turnout from varsity teams and clubs helps us meet our goal," says the release.
“Stem cells can treat several kinds of blood cancers as well as approximately 80 other medical conditions, including sickle cell disease and, in some cases, multiple sclerosis" said fourth-year collaborative Nipissing University and Canadore College nursing student Hayden Lloyd. "I've learned a lot working on this project. What we’re hoping to promote during the Swab In is awareness for everyone and have a record number of people registering as potential donors."
The need to find good "matches" from the list of "matched unrelated donors" (MUD) and the number of patients exceeds what is available on the Canadian Blood Services registry and the Hema Quebec registry.
"Thankfully, registries around the world are linked to help find matches. There is a significant need to recruit more donors. Currently, there are more than 900 Canadian patients waiting for a match."
Both CSC and NUSU presidents Jolene Carter and Harikesh Pancham are fully behind this event. They see this as a “great opportunity to help find blood stem cell matches for patients.”
To register as a donor, attend one of the four Swab In events to be held on Wednesday, September 25 and Thursday, September 26. At the registration desk you will complete a brief screening survey online; and, once you are screened, complete a cheek swab kit.
Event Dates, Times, and Locations
Wednesday September 25 and Thursday September 26 at the Education Centre Campus, 100 College Drive, 10am to 3pm, outside bookstore
Wednesday, September 25th at Nipissing University’s Surtees Athletic Centre, 5pm to 7 pm, in the foyer
Thursday, September 26th at Canadore College’s Commerce Court Campus, 60 Commerce Crescent, 10am to 3pm, outside cafeteria
For general information about stem cell donation, you can follow this link https://blood.ca/rotary .
