The Rotary Club of Nipissing, Nipissing University and Canadore College, in partnership with the Canadian Blood Services are pleased to announce the latest Swab In registration events for potential stem cell donors.
Students and staff need to be 17 to 35 years of age. 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.
Again, this year, with the additional support of the Nipissing University Nursing Society (NUNS), Canadore Students’ Council (CSC) and Nipissing University Students’ Union (NUSU), we hope register 400+ students, faculty and staff as donors surpassing the 302 registered in March 2023! A great turnout from varsity teams and clubs helps us meet our goal.
“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 Nipissing University nursing student and varsity soccer athlete Paris Grosselle. “I enjoyed volunteering last year and hope to see an even more diverse representation this year. Let’s have registrants from all ethnic backgrounds and a better turnout from men on the Canadore and Nipissing campuses.”
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.
Colin Vickers a stem cell recipient recently returned from meeting his donor in Scotland. He states that it was both “magical and serene.” Charlie shared this important thought with him: “I’m a ‘pay it forward’ kind of person and was always taught to go through life acting the way I would want to be treated. When I was made aware of the register and what it meant to a family we knew personally, there was never a doubt for me that I wanted to register. I’m glad I did and someone has benefited from it.” As well, Charlie said: “people in small Scottish communities like Rothesay just step up to do these things.” North Bay and area have the same attitude! Let’s find more matches.
To register as a donor, attend one of the four Swab In events to be held on Wednesday, October 1st and Thursday October 2nd. At the registration desk you will complete a brief screening survey online; and, once you are screened, complete a cheek swab kit. 15 minutes … easy!
Event Dates, Times, and Locations
- Wed. Oct. 1st 10 am to 3 pm outside College Drive bookstore
- Wed. Oct. 1st 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Nipissing Surtees Athletic Centre main hallway – this event is ideal for members of the public to attend.
- Thursday Oct. 2nd 10 am to 3 pm outside College Drive bookstore
- Thursday Oct. 2nd 10 am to 3 pm outside cafeteria at Canadore Commerce Court campus
For general information about stem cell donation, you can follow this link https://blood.ca/rotary .
