Image Credit: Canadian Blood Services

By Adam Berls

stem cell drive

Stem cell drive to take place May 26th

Apr 29, 2024 | 3:26 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — A UNBC student has made it her goal to help recruit potential stem cell donors, through a stem cell drive taking place in May.

Jayda Third, had a Northern Medical Program student reach out to her about an internal medicine resident that she knew from UBC who had been recently diagnosed with AML, acute myeloid leukemia. Her name is Dr. Jessie Willis and Third’s goal is to help find a match for her, and matches for others who need them.

Third says that the purpose of the drive is to recruit donors for the stem cell registry. She mentioned that if an individual needs a stem cell transplant, there is about a 25% chance that they can find a match within their family.

“We’re trying to increase the diversity of the donor registry in order to help mitigate that and help people find matches whenever they are in need of a transplant for their treatment.” – Jayda Third

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The process for donating is simple, you will be asked a few questions to make sure you are eligible, fill out a virtual questionnaire, and then a buccal swab is conducted. A buccal swab is conducted on the inside of your cheek. Once stem cell samples are collected, they are sent away to be analyzed, since we do not have a blood services centre in Prince George, with the last one closing in 2015.

The stem cell drive will take place on Sunday, May 26 from 11am to 4pm in the Agora at UNBC.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com