The topic of bone marrow donation is an important one. This week, it made headlines when 9-year-old Montreal Children’s Hospital patient Jean-Gilles Gadoury’s story and his search for a compatible donor was shared via social media. Fortunately, as Jean-Gilles’ mother confirmed last night via Facebook, he has since found two compatible umbilical cords and a compatible bone marrow donor.

The Montreal Children’s Hospital and Héma-Québec work closely together whenever a child might need a bone marrow transplant to find compatible donors. Together, we wish to underline the importance of donor registries in helping hundreds of patients awaiting transplants find donors.

Becoming a bone marrow donor is a serious commitment but an altruistic act that can save lives. Keep in mind that:

• A single donation can provide a life-saving match to ANY patient needing a transplant;
• Bone marrow donation is a two-step process, beginning with registering your name with the Stem Cell Donor Registry. If you have questions about this commitment, visit Héma-Québec’s website to learn more: https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/cellules-souches/savoir-plus/information-sur-le-don-de-cellules-souches.en.html [1];
• Your generous act has the potential to help someone who may not even know they will need a donation in the future.

Thank you for helping us transplant hope to patients and families. For more information on bone marrow donations, visit Héma Québec’s website: https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/cellules-souches/savoir-plus/demarche.en.html#n10297355 [2].