OneMatch Linking Patients With Donors

Police officers and Service members are supporting an effort to help patients in dire need for their one match.

A swab clinic is being held at theScarborough Town Centreon April 10 in an effort to add donors to theOneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network.

OneMatch, run by Canadian Blood Services, is responsible for finding and matching volunteer donors to patients who require stem cell transplants. Fewer than 30 per cent of patients who need stem cell transplants find a compatible donor within their own family. The rest rely on those who have volunteered to donate stem cells to anyone in need.

Members of theDivisional Policing Support UnitandToronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategyare participating in the clinic that runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the lower level in the Sears Court.

All it takes is a little bit of time and a cheek swab to join the network.You may be eligible to join if you are between 17 and 35 years old and meet certain health criteria.

Because Canadian Blood Services' OneMatch is a member of an international network of registries, who can also search more than 11 million donors on over 50 registries in other countries. By agreeing to make their donor data available worldwide, international registries have significantly increased the odds of being able to find a matching donor for any patient, anywhere in the world.

For more information on the network visitOneMatch.ca

Anyone who needs more information can call me at416.808.0133 or via email:[email protected]