Aboriginal Stem Cell, Bone Marrow Donors Needed

Aboriginal Stem Cell, Bone Marrow Donors Needed

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 12:32

A First Nations man from Little Red River is imploring members of the Aboriginal community to become stem cell and bone marrow donors.

Terry Thorsen is attending today’s signing of an agreement between the Aboriginal Nurses Association and two donor organizations in Ottawa.

The three groups are trying to raise awareness about the extremely low percentage of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people who have signed donor cards.

Thorsen was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002.

He says he wouldn’t be alive today if he hadn’t received a stem cell transplant a few years later.

“It basically saved my life. It was four years ago that I had my stem cell transplant, and OneMatch.com and Canadian Blood Services were the ones who were able to find two donors for me. Being from Little Red River reserve, I didn’t think that they would be able to find a donor from Florida,” Thorsen says.

Thorsen recently celebrated the birth of his first child and is thinking about writing a book about his ordeal.