Guest Blogger: Daljit Sanders
Leukemia, my perception of the whole disease changed once I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia last year. I had no clue what leukemia was, other than a blood cancer. I didn’t know that it could be cured if a willing donor came forward. The entire last year of my life has been about learning the statistics for survival. Obsessing over them until I vowed to do something to change the reality. As someone who needs a bone marrow transplant, my siblings were not a match, as matches are not based on blood type, and out of 10 patients, it is only likely that 3 will find a match within their families, but out of the 7 that look to the international and national registries around the world, only 40% will find their matches. A match can come from anywhere in the world, a global problem and in a world that is increasingly connected, finding solutions to curing deathly cancers like blood cancer are possible. We need #ARealMan to step up and commit to saving a life. Just over a million South Asians reside in Canada, but they make up less than 5% of the Canadian bone marrow registry.
“Approximately 1,000 Canadians today are desperately in need of a stem cell transplant because it is their last and best hope for recovery. Canadian patients currently, largely, rely on stem cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood donors. There are not enough donors and the registry of donors does not reflect the ethnic diversity of Canadian patients. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood could help solve this critical problem but in Canada, umbilical cords are discarded at birth.”
Leukemia, my perception of the whole disease changed once I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia last year. I had no clue what leukemia was, other than a blood cancer. I didn’t know that it could be cured if a willing donor came forward. The entire last year of my life has been about learning the statistics for survival. Obsessing over them until I vowed to do something to change the reality. As someone who needs a bone marrow transplant, my siblings were not a match, as matches are not based on blood type, and out of 10 patients, it is only likely that 3 will find a match within their families, but out of the 7 that look to the international and national registries around the world, only 40% will find their matches. A match can come from anywhere in the world, a global problem and in a world that is increasingly connected, finding solutions to curing deathly cancers like blood cancer are possible. We need #ARealMan to step up and commit to saving a life. Just over a million South Asians reside in Canada, but they make up less than 5% of the Canadian bone marrow registry.
“Approximately 1,000 Canadians today are desperately in need of a stem cell transplant because it is their last and best hope for recovery. Canadian patients currently, largely, rely on stem cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood donors. There are not enough donors and the registry of donors does not reflect the ethnic diversity of Canadian patients. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood could help solve this critical problem but in Canada, umbilical cords are discarded at birth.”
My reality was simple: 27 year-old married female, of South Asian descent, wanted to get pregnant. My future will be very different now that I am facing a bone marrow transplant. Finding my donor wasn’t the easiest task as my only hope for finding a donor is a male of South Asian decent. To make matters difficult, those male donors must be between the ages of 17 and 35 in Canada according to One Match. But convincing minority men to sign up hasn’t been easy because of all the misconceptions about bone marrow donation. People often think of an overly invasive procedure, but in reality, it can oftentimes be as simple as the procedure for giving blood. There is no cost associated with committing to saving a life and ultimately, other than giving life, it is one of the most humbling experiences.
I have been fortunate enough to find a bone marrow match, but it wasn’t without many trials as two prospective donor matches fell through at the last minute. I feel so incredibly blessed to undergo this procedure and to know that my transplant, thanks to modern medicine, is no more painful than receiving a blood transfusion. My donor gave me more than just hope. He’s given me life. If I’m fortunate enough, in a year from today I may have the opportunity to thank my donor. He’s given my husband and I a future. He’s given my nieces and I many more fun filled adventures. Above all else, he’s given me the knowledge that together we can each make a difference, one person at a time.
Find out more information HERE.
Daljit Sanders lives in Vancouver, BC. She is a partner at Eery Media Workshop, an independent production company. A life long learner at Penn State's World Campus, you can connect with her on twitter @msdalj; Facebook Dreams for Daljit and website Will You Marrow Me.
Find out more information HERE.
Daljit Sanders lives in Vancouver, BC. She is a partner at Eery Media Workshop, an independent production company. A life long learner at Penn State's World Campus, you can connect with her on twitter @msdalj; Facebook Dreams for Daljit and website Will You Marrow Me.