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 →

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 →