Joshua Weekes is a six-year-old boy from Richmond, B.C. who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. He needs a stem cell transplant to save his life. Joshua is of Icelandic, British, Caribbean and Filipino descent. There are no potential matches within his family so Joshua’s family and friends are encouraging eligible donors of diverse ancestry to register as potential stem cell donors and to donate blood, which is also a requirement for patients like Joshua waiting for their match.
The Canadian Blood Services, through Tania Fernandes-Silva, and family friend, and Trudi Goels, organized a swab event and blood letting services for Joshua last April 5 at St Joseph the Worker Church in Richmond, to help find a donor for Joshua, and for volunteers to give blood for him. They encouraged unrelated stem cell donors who may be able to help Joshua.
There are a lot of patients that Canadian Blood Services serve, and your donation of blood in any of their branches, will help save many lives. To discover all the ways you can Give Life and to book an appointment, download the GiveBlood app or visit blood.ca.
“Canadian Blood Services manages the national supply of blood, blood products and stem cells, and related services for all the provinces and territories (excluding Quebec). We operate an integrated, pan-Canadian service delivery model that includes leading an interprovincial system for organ donation and transplantation. Our national scope, infrastructure and governance make us unique in the Canadian healthcare landscape. Canadian Blood Services is regulated as a biologics manufacturer by Health Canada and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health. Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization.”