Campaign at N.S. universities aims to find more stem cell donors

A blood donor clinic pictured at a shopping mall in Calgary, Alta., March 27, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

Canadian Blood Services is holding a number of events at Nova Scotia campuses where students can register to become a stem cell donor.

The “Swab at School” campaign will be held between Feb. 3 and 13. Students between the ages of 17 and 35 can register to become a donor and potentially be a match for one of the nearly 1,000 Canadian patients waiting for a lifesaving stem cell transplant.

Canadian Blood Services – a non-profit charitable organization – says 2,000 more people than expected joined the stem cell registry last year in response to its “Swab at School” campaign.

The non-profit is aiming to exceed last year’s target, with a goal to swab 3,000 students across the country over two weeks.

Stem cell transplants can treat more than 80 diseases and disorders.

People aged 17 to 35 make the best lifesaving stem cell donors, according to a news release from Canadian Blood Services.

“When a patient undergoes a stem cell transplant, it’s often their last hope for survival, and the use of stem cells from younger donors typically leads to better patient outcomes,” reads the release.

“Swab at School” events in Nova Scotia will be held at the following locations:

- Feb. 4: DAL Student Union Building in Halifax between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

- Feb. 4: St. Francis Xavier University’s Mulroney Hall in Antigonish between 11 a.m. and 7 a.m.

- Feb. 10 and 11: Acadia University’s Fountain Commons in Wolfville between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

- Feb. 13: Saint Mary’s University’s Barbara Holmes Centre in Halifax between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Canadian Blood Services says patients who need a stem cell transplant are more likely to find a match among those who share their ethnic ancestry.

“Students who come from an ethnically diverse or mixed-race background could be the match a patient has been waiting for,” reads the news release.

More information on becoming a stem cell donor or to join the registry can be found online or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page