Fear becomes a constant companion when one91裸聊视频檚 child is desperately ill.
Kim Lahti-Scranton knows this all too well as her daughter Jane is fighting for her life at BC Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital.
As much as Jane91裸聊视频檚 journey is all-consuming, Kim is helping a desperate woman to get young people to donate bone marrow in order to find a better match for her son, Noah, who is in critical need of a bone marrow transplant 91裸聊视频� soon.
The Scranton family is living in Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Ronald McDonald House and shares a kitchen with 17-year-old Noah Stolte91裸聊视频檚 family.
Noah survived a first round of cancer when he was 10. In April, the family was given the terrifying news that he had relapsed.
91裸聊视频淗is mom thought they were going to find a match within family; they91裸聊视频檙e 100 per cent Dutch,91裸聊视频� says Kim, noting family members are usually the best choice, but his three sisters are only a 50 per cent match.
Out of the worldwide pool of donors, there are two people who are a 75 per cent genetic match and are being considered, one of whom lives in Europe. The lower the match, the more chance there is for complications and a less than optimal outcome.
There is a time crunch as Noah needs to have a transplant sometime in September and it can take a couple of months from registration to donation.
One of Kim91裸聊视频檚 nephews is an NHL player, who used his connections to help Noah91裸聊视频檚 aunt interest 85 people in becoming bone marrow donors in Edmonton.
Unable to get help from Canadian Blood Services to organize a similar drive in Vancouver because of staffing issues, Kim and Noah91裸聊视频檚 mother, Stacey VanderLee Stolte, went to a Vancouver Canadians game to raise awareness and hopefully encourage people to sign up to be on the registry for stem cell or bone marrow donation.
91裸聊视频淲e were met with a whole range of responses 91裸聊视频� from people who were incredibly receptive, to people who completely ignored us and everything in between,91裸聊视频� says Kim. 91裸聊视频淲e got some interesting comments like 91裸聊视频榥o kid would want my bone marrow, I91裸聊视频檝e done too many drugs,91裸聊视频� to other people saying no because they thought if they were a match that donating bone marrow would be too painful.91裸聊视频�
Dr. Lucy Turnham, a clinical associate who oversees the outpatient oncology clinic at BC Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital, has performed Jane91裸聊视频檚 procedures and says males between the ages of 17 and 35 are the best resource.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 one of the most wonderful charitable donations you can do,91裸聊视频� Turnham says, noting many people never receive a call. 91裸聊视频淚t has a huge impact on a patient who has no other options.91裸聊视频�
Turnham explains that donors are educated before they do a swab. If they are told they are a match, they can still say no at any time. They then undergo further testing and maybe counselling at that point, and can still back out an any time.
91裸聊视频淚f they had said yes and the patient begins treatment to get rid of the diseased cells prior to transplant, and then the donor backs out, the patient91裸聊视频檚 life is at serious risk, so it is important to know what you are getting into before saying yes,91裸聊视频� Kim stresses. 91裸聊视频淚f the donor says yes to the procedure, they are told beforehand when the treatment would start and told when the last chance to back out would be.91裸聊视频�
Stem cell donations can be made in two ways: the donor is hooked to a machine with IVs in each arm. Blood is taken from one arm, stem cells are removed, the blood is replaced through the IV in the other arm where the body grows more stem cells.
Or, the donor is anesthetized, a needle is placed into the hip bone from the back and part of the bone marrow is sucked out.
91裸聊视频淵ou might be a little bit sore afterwards, but for less than 24 hours,91裸聊视频� Turnham says, noting women can be donors but not if they have been pregnant. 91裸聊视频淵oung bone marrow is more robust and we regenerate marrow and blood all the time.91裸聊视频�
Becoming a donor is not a speedy process for people living in smaller communities, but would-be donors can receive a swab kit through the mail and return it postage-free.
Marc Plante, a representative with the national office of Canadian Blood Services, says people can go to www.blood.ca and proceed to the Stem Cells tab at the top of the page.
91裸聊视频淚f you have an opportunity to save a life and just put up with a couple of days of discomfort, I would do it in a heartbeat,91裸聊视频� says Kim, who must also face the reality that Jane could one day be in the same dilemma. 91裸聊视频淚f most people had the opportunity to save a life, they would do it.91裸聊视频�
The Scrantons have been living at Ronald McDonald House for several months, while Jane receives treatment.
91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 as good as can be expected; she91裸聊视频檚 very compromised and we need to make sure she91裸聊视频檚 not exposed to anything,91裸聊视频� says Kim, noting the first, and this, the fourth phase of treatment, are considered to be the toughest. 91裸聊视频淪he has nothing to fight off infection.91裸聊视频�
There is another terrifying aspect to this disease.
As well as living with the fear of potential relapse, some of the chemo drugs being used to treat Jane increase the risk of heart disease and cause secondary cancer, neuro-cognitive issues and behavioural issues.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 know if it91裸聊视频檚 coming or what it will be, but we don91裸聊视频檛 have a choice, we have to save her life now and deal with the consequences later,91裸聊视频� Kim says. 91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e just kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to take a turn, it91裸聊视频檚 not fun.91裸聊视频� And while Jane will require a lot of follow-up assessment in the years to come, the tough little hero turns six on Aug. 12.
91裸聊视频淪he has everything she needs; I just want people to sign up for the bone marrow registry or donate blood,91裸聊视频� Kim says, noting she is grateful for the community91裸聊视频檚 support throughout the ordeal.
If you can91裸聊视频檛 donate but would like to help Jane celebrate, you can take birthday cards to the Salmar Grand Theatre where manager Daila Duford will make sure they get to their destination.
