South Asian stem cell donors needed to help Ontario woman with leukemia

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Twenty-four-year-old Moneet Mann was diagnosed with leukemia last fall, and desperately needs a stem cell transplant.

The desperate search for a bone marrow match for an Ontario woman reached B.C. this weekend.

Twenty-four-year-old Moneet Mann was diagnosed with leukemia last fall and has launched a campaign to find a stem cell donor.

Her supporters held a swabbing event at a Surrey temple Sunday in hopes of finding a match in the South Asian community here, while also trying to boost the number of registered donors among visible minorities.

Good Samaritans were eager to sign up to be stem cell donors in hopes of becoming a match. The simple process involves a health questionnaire and a cheek swab.

The cross-country campaign highlights the need for stem cell donors in Canadas diverse ethnic communities.

Fewer than three out of 10 on the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network registry are non-Caucasians.

For those who are waiting, this means a match could take months, or worse, not come in time.

To sign up as a stem cell donor, you must be between 17 and 35 years old and meet certain health criteria. Right now, there is a special need for ethnic males.

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South Asian stem cell donors needed to help Ontario woman with leukemia