Carol Basco Datoon is 47 years old, and has lived in Toronto for over 30 years. She came here in 1976 with her three older sisters. She is happily married to her loving husband, Joven. And they have three wonderful, loving children. They currently live in Barrie, Ontario, an hour’s drive North of Toronto.
Carol has Myelofibrosis. It’s a form of Leukemia, wherein the red blood cells are very low because her bone marrow is not producing enough red cells. She needs a stem cell transplant to hope to overcome her illness.
Right now, she is appealing to all Filipinos here in the GTA to register to become a stem cell donor. Not just for her, but for all the other Filipinos who are also waiting for donors. The matching donor can only be found among Filipinos because our DNA markers vary according to ethnic backgrounds. They must match in order to have a successful transplant. There is an ongoing worldwide search for a possible matching donor, but so far, a match has not been found for her.
We are appealing to raise awareness among the Filipino community because donors are needed on the stem cell donor registry. Out of 239,224 Canadians on the “OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network”, there are only 84 registered that are from Filipino heritage. This makes it very difficult for Filipino patients such as Carol to find a match.
When you register, you could be a match for a patient in Canada or somewhere else in the world. Registered donors must be committed to donate to any patient that is in need.
Only 30% of patients find a match within their own family. 70% of patients depend on the generosity of people like you. You may be the match for which a patient and their family have been praying. Each of us has an opportunity today to better someone’s life.
Some of you may be reluctant to donate because you may not understand how the donation works. Stem cells can be donated two different ways, depending on the needs of the patient. You may be asked to donate in a simple procedure like a blood donation or in a hospital under a general anaesthetic. If the donation is done under a general anaesthetic, you will be released from the hospital the same day.
Recovery is usually routine and short. And most people are back to normal in a few days. Your body will replace your stem cells within six weeks so there are no ill effects for you.
This is the moment for members of the Filipino community to step forward and support Carol and the other 4 Filipino patients awaiting stem cell matches. Please register on the “OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network”, which is managed by the Canadian Blood Services. Registering is easy. Just go online to onematch.ca and follow the instructions. Thank you.