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SWAB THE WORLD

Stem cell transplants represent hope, and often, a second chance at life for patients with a wide variety of hematological and metabolic diseases such as blood cancers. However, the diagnosis of blood cancer means something drastically different depending on your ethnicity or the colour of your skin. Patients are most likely to find a compatible stem cell donor who shares their ethnicity and ancestry; however, our stem cell donor registries lack diversity. 70% of the Canadian registry is Caucasian, while it is only 15% Asian, 2% Arab, 1% Black, and less than 1% Métis —greatly reducing the odds that a non-Caucasian Canadian will find a compatible stem cell donor. MSS Swab The World aims to make blood cancer a fairer fight for all Canadians by building awareness for the critical need of stem cell donors; in particular, in underrepresented ethnic groups, and recruiting informed and committed individuals to register to become stem cell donors at McGill University and in the greater Montreal community.

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