Category Archives: Stem Cell Transplant

Watch:An Alberta mom of twins battling leukemia is one step closer to getting her stem cell transplant. Su-Ling Goh has the update. EDMONTON After five months in hospital for the most part, separated from her kids Tammy McLash finally spent a few days at home and is now in Calgary for her stem cell transplant. The Edmonton mother was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in August, and has since undergone four rounds of chemotherapy while waiting for a matching stem cell donor. She has only been able to see her three-year-old twins, Adam and Madeline, for about 30 minutes a day, at most. Tammy was in isolation for much of December, missing both Christmas and the twins third birthday. READ MORE: Alberta mother battling leukemia desperately searching for stem cell match But she was finally strong enough to come home last week. Thats when the family celebrated both occasions. We chose one day to be their birthday and that was their birthday celebration and then this morning was Christmas, says Mathew McLash, Tammys husband. They woke up with us, opened some presents and we had our Christmas, so it was really nice. They now think that every time they get … Continue reading →

Stem cell technology representsone of the most fascinating and controversial medical advances of the past several decades. By now the enormous controversy which surrounded the use of federal funds to conduct scientific research on human stem cells during the George W. Bush administration has largely blown over. Five years have passed since President Obama lifted federal funding restrictions, and amazing progress has already been made in the field. One can make a good case for stem cells being the most fascinating and versatile cells in the human body. This is precisely due to their stem role. In their most basic form, theyre capable of both replicating themselves an unlimited number of times and differentiating themselvesinto a huge number of other cell types. Muscle cells, brain cells, organ cells, and many others can all be created from stem cells. If youre interested, the NIH has an awesome introductionon stem cells on their website. The question which has arisen since the discovery of thisamazing cell type has been how to harness their power and versatility. This is the primary focus of research today: how can we precisely control stem cells to perform whatever tasks we need them to do? Of course, other … Continue reading →

Proud new dad Jason Manford has shared his baby joy over the weekend after welcoming his fifth child into the world. But the birth has also given the comic and his girlfriend Lucy the opportunity to save a life. The couple decided to take the unusual step of donating the umbilical cord and placenta to the Anthony Nolan Trust after meeting its team at St Marys Hospital. The charity helps people with blood cancers matching them with donors if they need a stem cell, bone marrow or cord blood transplant. It runs an umbilical cord and placenta collection programme in eight hospitals across the country, including St Marys. Specialists collect the umbilical cord and placenta from donors after the birth and, instead of throwing them away, extract blood from them. Stem cells in cord blood are adaptable which makes finding matches for donors easier and, as they are stored in a bank, they are available straight away. Its a fantastic scheme and Jason has done a great service by raising awareness of it. Wed encourage any expecting parents to follow in his footsteps and find out more. To find out more, go to their website. VIEW GALLERY Read the original … Continue reading →

Deanna Reed's Stem Cell Transplant June of 2011 I have Amyloidosis, and I had a Stem Cell Transplant in June of 2011 .."Don't Blink" By: Deanna Reed … Continue reading →

Proud new dad Jason Manford has revealed he and his girlfriend have donated their babys umbilical cord and placenta for stem cell research. The 33-year-old comic and partner Lucy Dyke welcomed their child into the world on Thursday at Saint Marys Hospital after a 55-hour labour. Jason told how they decided to donate the umbilical cord and placenta to the Anthony Nolan Trust for stem cell research after meeting members of its team at St Marys. The charity helps leukaemia patients who need a stem cell, bone marrow or cord blood transplant to find a match. The former One Show host wrote on Facebook: It means that our baby will have helped save a life before shes even started school which is a pretty cool thought! Unless youre one of these nutters who fries it the day after for breakfast...itd be worth asking your midwife about it too! The couple have yet to decide on a name for their new child, but the TV funnyman couldnt resist a joke as he praised hospital staff for keeping mum and baby safe. He wrote: What a week! After a worrying few days at St Marys Hospital in Manchester, I would like to … Continue reading →

If youre between 17 and 35 years old, you may be able to save Chris LeBruns life. LeBrun, 48, was diagnosed with leukemia last May. The accountant and father of two learned last fall that he needs a stem cell donation to beat the disease. But the donor cant be just anyone. It has to be someone who is a match for the genetic markers in the proteins of LeBruns white blood cells. That sounds complicated, but the test to find a genetic match is quite simple. Just by swiping the inside of the mouth with a cotton swab, enough cells are collected to determine whether a match has been found. Donors between 17 and 35 are accepted, and males are preferred, as transplants from men tend to be more successful. On Saturday in Bedford, 36 people joined the stem cell registry through Canadian Blood Services to try to help LeBrun and others with certain forms of cancer, bone marrow deficiency diseases, anemia and other immune system and metabolic disorders. LeBrun lives in Cambridge, Ont., but has deep ties to Nova Scotia, says his longtime friend, Barb Leighton. Leighton describes her friend as a community leader who volunteers tirelessly for … Continue reading →

HALIFAX Chris LeBrun had hoped to make 100 blood donations by the time he turned 50. After his 77th donation, his world changed. LeBrun is originally from Bedford, N.S., but currently lives in Ontario with his wife and two teenaged sons. The 48-year-old accountant was playing ball hockey last May when he noticed he was getting more winded then usual. Shortly after, LeBrun was diagnosed with leukemia and began aggressive treatments. This past fall, LeBrun was told he would need a stem cell transplant. To be blunt, its critical that Chris finds a match. He must find a match and he must have a stem cell transplant to survive, said Barb Leighton, a lifelong friend of LeBruns. Friends set up a swab event Saturday at the LeBrun Recreation Centre on Holland Drive in Bedford. The idea is to get everyone possible to come out and get tested to see if they are a match. Males aged 17-35 are typically the ideal donor for a patient in need. This is the first patient-driven event thats been here in a while, said Holly Sinclair, with Canadian Blood Services. Certainly, the family is very focused and motivated to find a match for Chris. … Continue reading →

There are more than 1,000 Canadians waiting for a match to receive a life-saving stem cell or marrow transplant, and many more worldwide. In the coming month, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) will make it easy for people at Memorial University in St. Johns to help answer that demand. Three events are being held at the campus in January and February to recruit people into the OneMatch donor base, which files results of buccal or cheek swabs to match potential donors with patients in need. The primary target are males between 17 and 35 years old and thats why the focus in January is at MUN. Its the quality of the stem cells that come from that age group, said Peter MacDonald, regional director for CBS in Atlantic Canada. As we age, our stem cells become less viable for transplant, and males are just a stronger source of stem cells. Doesnt mean that females are not capable or able to donate stem cells, but males are the preferred donors for stem cells. MacDonald said older people may register, but will age out of the system faster. Those 51 and older are not eligible. Id encourage someone who is perhaps outside of … Continue reading →

Stem cell transplant 4 years later My daughter Lujina got her first Stem cell transplant in October 2010 in Germany at X cell center. She is still non verbal the only thing changed is she gain... By: Sajie Mesbah … Continue reading →

Stem Cell transplant for Cerebellar Ataxia Improvement seen in 3 months of Stem Cell Transplant for Cerebellar Ataxia by Dr Alok Sharma After Stem Cell Transplantation 1. Standing static and dynamic b... By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute … Continue reading →