November 13, 2014

Marc-Andr Skelling of East Angus needs help. The 23-year-old man has Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer affecting the bodys white blood cells and lymph nodes. He has been told that without a viable donation of bone marrow stem cells he has less than a month to live.

We need to find a donor, its urgent, said Muguette Skelling, Marc-Andrs mother. Were inviting everyone, no matter who they are, to register with Hma-Quebec.

Bone marrow is responsible for the production of red and white blood cells in the body and therefore a bone marrow transplant can be an effective treatment for a range of blood related diseases. Depending on the context, individuals can receive a transplant either from another part of their own body, or from an outside donor.

Individuals in good health who are between 18 and 35 years of age can register to donate in Quebec. Registration is done online through the Hma-Quebec website. Once registration is complete, a test kit containing a cheek swab is mailed to the registrant that must then be returned. According to Mnard, the whole process from registration to getting onto the list takes twelve weeks.

Read the full story in Thursday's Record.

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East Angus man looking for stem cells