I live in Williams Lake, BC, and my journey with Canadian Blood Services (CBS) began after watching a Canadian News Broadcaster (CBC) segment on cord blood donation. That moment inspired me to focus on raising awareness about stem cell donation. As part of my master’s quality improvement project, I saw this as a meaningful way to help increase the number of registrants, ultimately improving access for patients in need.
Since January of this year, I have been exploring CBS resources and academic literature, inspired by donor generosity and the life-changing impact for recipients. This learning journey also led me to register as a donor.
I proudly joined Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life program and created my team, We R One. The name reflects the unity and compassion that come from knowing stem cell donations can help anyone, anywhere in the world. With CBS’s guidance and the support of many kind people in Williams Lake, I set up awareness tables at four different locations. The response was very positive. Many people shared that they had never known about stem cell donation, while some, who were no longer eligible due to age, expressed regret that they had not learned earlier.
Through this experience, I have realized how powerful awareness can be. I feel grateful to contribute to the lifesaving effort of guiding eligible individuals to register as stem cell donors. I am passionate about continuing to spread the word so that more patients in need can find their match.
