Blood, stem cell drive to help save North Delta teen

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – An 18-year-old girl from North Delta desperately needs your help. Kiran Johal has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and needs a stem cell transplant. A pop-up stem cell and blood drive is being held today that could help save her life.

Kiran Johal blood, stem cell poster

Johal’s condition is called severe aplastic anemia and it leaves those with it unable to produce enough blood cells to fight infection or control their bleeding.

Trudi Goels with the Canadian Blood Services says taking part in today’s efforts at Guildford Town Centre won’t take much. “It just takes them about 10 minutes to complete some information and provide a cheek swab.”

Goels adds doctors are facing a unique challenge with this case. “Because Kiran is South Asian there is a bigger challenge because the registry is not as diverse as we need it to be in Canada. So, people who can donate stem cells to a patient often match their ethnic heritage.”

“Men provide a better outcome for patients than women do generally speaking. There is a big push for more men to become registrants, although women are welcomed to register as well.”

Goels says there are little to no side effects for people who decide to donate. “About 80 per cent of the time it’s a very simple day process that looks like blood donation and within a day or two, they’re back up and running at full capacity, they just might feel a little run down.”

The clinic runs until 5 p.m.

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